This Bradenton high school reports its first COVID-19 case, Manatee School District reports

The School District of Manatee County has now reported 70 COVID-19 cases and 878 related quarantines since the start of classes last month.

Bayshore High School reported its first case this week, while an elementary school made its second appearance on the district’s COVID-19 dashboard, located at www.manateeschools.net. There was just one exposure between the two cases, according to the district’s update on Monday afternoon.

Bayshore High, 5401 34th St. W. in Bradenton, reported one exposure to a student who tested positive for COVID-19.

The term “exposure” describes close and prolonged contact with an infected person (less than six feet of separation for at least 15 minutes), and it requires the exposed student or employee to quarantine for 14 days.

McNeal Elementary School, 6325 Lorraine Road, Bradenton, made its second appearance with one infected student and no exposures. Between the case reported on Monday and the original case reported on Sep. 18, there has yet to be an exposure to the confirmed cases at McNeal Elementary, district records show.

As of Monday afternoon, dozens of COVID-19 cases made their way into 34 Manatee County schools after the return of students on Aug. 17, while 22 district offices and schools had yet to report a case or exposure.

The following schools have reported COVID-19 cases and, often times, the exposures and quarantines that followed:

• Abel Elementary: 18 exposures and two positive employees between reports on Sep. 8 and Sep. 15.

• Ballard Elementary: 29 exposures, one positive student and one positive employee between reports on Aug. 18 and Aug. 31.

• Bashaw Elementary: 25 people quarantined after exposure to one student, Sep. 9.

• Bayshore Elementary: three people quarantined after exposure to one employee, Aug. 20.

• Bayshore High: one person quarantined after exposure to one student, Sep. 21.

• Blackburn Elementary: 12 people quarantined after exposure to two students, Aug. 24.

• Braden River High: 18 exposures and three positive students between reports on Sep. 4, Sep. 9 and Sep. 16.

• Braden River Middle: 17 exposures, one positive employee and three positive students between reports on Sep. 2, Sep. 8 and Sep. 10.

• Buffalo Creek Middle: two people quarantined after exposure to one student, Sep. 18.

• Gullett Elementary: 16 people quarantined after exposure to one student, Aug. 25.

• Harvey Elementary: 100 exposures, one positive employee and three positive students between reports on Sep. 2, Sep. 8 and Sep. 15.

• Johnson K-8: Ten people quarantined after exposure to one student, Sep. 11.

• Lakewood Ranch High: 32 people quarantined, two positive employees and one positive student between reports on Aug. 31 and Sep. 18.

• Lee Middle: two people quarantined after exposure to one employee, Sep. 4.

• Lincoln Memorial Academy: 27 people quarantined after exposure to one student, Aug. 21.

• Manatee High: 75 exposures, three positive students and two positive employees between reports on Aug. 21, Aug. 25, Sep. 2 and Sep. 15.

• Manatee Technical College, all campuses: nine people quarantined after exposure to five employees, Aug. 19.

• McNeal Elementary: no exposures to one positive employee and one positive student between reports on Sep. 18 and Sep. 21.

• Mills Elementary: 14 people quarantined after exposure to one student, Sep. 3.

• Moody Elementary: 32 people quarantined after exposure to one student, Aug. 21.

• Nolan Middle: 45 exposures, one positive student and one positive employee between reports on Aug. 31 and Sep. 1.

• Palm View K-8: no exposures to one positive employee, Sep. 18.

• Palma Sola Elementary: 38 exposures, one positive employee and two positive students between reports on Aug. 25, Aug. 26 and Sep. 17.

• Palmetto Elementary: five exposures, one positive student and one positive employee between reports on Aug. 25 and Sep. 14.

• Palmetto High: 149 exposures and two positive employees between reports on Aug. 27 and Aug. 31.

• Parrish Community High: 13 exposures and three positive students between reports on Aug. 18, Sep. 8 and Sep. 16.

• Prine Elementary: three people quarantined after exposure to one student, Sep. 8.

• Samoset Elementary: 38 people quarantined after exposure to two students, Aug. 26.

• Southeast High: 31 exposures, one positive student and two positive employees between reports on Sep. 4, Sep. 8 and Sep. 15.

• Sugg Middle: no exposures to one positive student, Aug. 20.

• Tara Elementary: 15 exposures and three positive students between reports on Aug. 19 and Sep. 11.

• Williams Elementary: 73 exposures, two positive employees and one positive student between reports on Aug. 18, Aug. 31 and Sep. 4.

• Willis Elementary: eight people quarantined after exposure to one student, Aug. 21.

• Witt Elementary: 18 people quarantined after exposure to one student, Sep. 16.

In a notice sent on Monday evening, Principal Wendell Butler assured families that Bayshore High was checking for symptoms, enforcing the mask requirement and sanitizing the campus each day.

“Most importantly, if a student or staff member feels sick, believes they have symptoms or has had a test for COVID-19, please stay home until you are symptom free or you are cleared to return to school,” the message states.

This story was originally published September 22, 2020 at 11:29 AM.