A pair of Massachusetts parents sent their child to school despite the high schooler having tested positive for the coronavirus days before, according to the town’s mayor.
Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux sj(D) aid in a Facebook post Wednesday that a student who had tested positive for the coronavirus had been in school Monday, urging other parents not to make the same mistake.
The parents found out their child tested positive on Sept. 11 but thought that they could go to school after quarantining for several days, the mayor told CNN.
“The parents used very poor judgment, it’s very frustrating,” Heroux told the outlet. “The school department did everything they were supposed to do.”
Attleboro High School Superintendent David Sawyer sent a letter to parents notifying them that a student who tested positive for COVID-19 attended class on Monday but that the school was not aware of the diagnosis until the next day, according to CNN. The superintendent reportedly said 28 students who had close contact with the infected person have been notified and asked to quarantine for 14 days.
Heroux said on Facebook that the school system is “taking great precautions to make sure that our 6,000 students will be as safe as possible under the circumstances.”
The mayor also urged parents to keep home students who test positive for the virus or are awaiting test results.
“If kids are showing any symptoms of COVID-19, they should probably get a test. If anyone has come in to contact with a COVID-19 confirmed individual, it’s best to contact either the school nurse or the city nurse to go over the different situations and what to do,” he added. “We should all be vigilant and constantly be monitoring ourselves for symptoms.”