More than 110 students quarantined in school district in US Mississippi

WASHINGTON - More than 110 students have been sent home to quarantine for 14 days after six kids and a school staffer tested positive for COVID-19 in a school district in southern US state Mississippi, local media reported Wednesday.

Taylor Coombs, spokesperson for the Corinth School District, told CNN that 116 students have been considered in "close contact" of a positive case and quarantined.

In a letter posted on Facebook on Wednesday, the Corinth School District told parents that the school has done contact tracing and is asking anyone who had contact with the individuals to quarantine for 14 days.

Students and staff are screened daily upon entering the building with temperature checks, and staff has to answer questions daily about if they have had symptoms in the past few days, said a CNN report.

Guidance from the district says that all staff, parents and volunteers must wear a face covering in the school buildings, while teachers must wear a face covering in all common areas and during all student interactions.

In-person classes resumed in the district on July 27, according to the school calendar. The student population in the district is 2700.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves issued a mask mandate for the state which went into effect on Wednesday.

Xinhua