8 students test positive for COVID in Manatee schools. These are the affected campuses

The School District of Manatee County reported more COVID-19 cases at campuses on Monday, the first day of classes after a long holiday weekend.

Students were off for Good Friday and some gathered with family and friends on Easter Sunday. The district recorded eight new infections after students returned, according to Manatee’s COVID-19 dashboard.

All eight cases involved students, according to the district report, which also listed 41 “direct exposures.” An exposure means someone was in proximity to a positive COVID-19 case for at least 15 minutes.

Both the infected and exposed people were sent home from these Manatee County schools:

• Braden River High School, one positive student and four exposures.
  
  
• Gullett Elementary School, one positive student and five exposures.
• Lakewood Ranch High School, two positive students and 10 exposures.
• Manatee High School, two positive students and 18 exposures.
• Palmetto Elementary School, one positive student and four exposures.
• Sugg Middle School, one positive case and unknown exposures (contact tracing was ongoing as of Monday evening).

As of Monday night, the district recorded a total of 476 cases and at least 6,445 exposures at local schools and offices in the second semester, which began in early January.

Of the 476 known COVID-19 cases, 417 were among students and 59 were among district employees.

The school district has sent several messages to families — especially before and after holiday breaks — to remind them of important safety measures during the pandemic school year.

It was vital that students remain home if they felt ill or had a pending COVID-19 test. The district also recommended that students and families continue using masks, hand-washing and social distancing outside of school.