VISTA, Calif. — One week after reopening for in-person learning, Vista Unified School District is calling a special meeting to address coronavirus cases being detected among students.
According to the district superintendent, a student tested positive for the virus on Sunday but was said to have been at school on the preceding Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The superintendent told parents that this is an isolated case where the student likely contracted the virus while traveling on a club athletic team that is not affiliated with the school. This positive test has 150 students and four teachers quarantining. This adds to the numbers of people who are quarantining. A first positive test sent 130 students and staff into quarantine early last week.
While it is unlikely the student came into close contact with all 150 students and four teachers, the district said it was "proceeding with an abundance of caution'' and placing all of them on a 14-day quarantine and pivoting to Zoom and Canvas distance-learning classes.
The school board plans to meet later on Tuesday to discuss the reopening plan and the impact it is having. Vista Unified has already been under intense scrutiny for its reopening plan. Unlike other school districts who have reopened slower, Vista Unified reopened all 28 schools starting last Tuesday.
That decision has drawn criticism from people, especially those in transportation, including one man who spoke to News 8 anonymously about his safety concerns saying, “We see kids walking into Mission Vista wearing no masks in large groups and they're just walking in.”
The meeting is set to take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday.