MISSOULA — Two additional COVID-19 cases have been confirmed at Sentinel High School in Missoula.
In a letter sent to families, principal Ryan Rettig says the school was notified of the new cases on Tuesday.
The Missoula City-County Health Department has begun a case investigation and is conducting contact tracing to identify close contacts to the positive cases.
"We will ensure that individuals identified as close contacts receive our district directive to stay out of school and school based activities for 14 days," the letter states.
MCPS statistics show that as of Oct. 18, a total of 17 positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed at Sentinel High School.
Read the full letter below:
Dear Sentinel High School families:
I am writing to inform you that we were alerted today, Tuesday, 10/20/20, about two new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our school.
Our school staff are conducting contact tracing to identify close contacts to the positive case. Families of students identified as a close contact hear from a member of our school staff and may also hear from the health department. We will not share personal information about the confirmed positive case or close contacts as that information is protected by law.
We will ensure that individuals identified as close contacts receive our district directive to stay out of school and school based activities for 14 days. We will not allow the individual and any close contacts back into school facilities until they are released from isolation or quarantine by the health department. We continue our thorough and frequent cleaning and disinfection of all areas throughout our school facilities.
Thank you for doing your part by complying with COVID-19 public health orders and program rules. For the health and safety of your children and our entire community, we urge you to take necessary precautions to limit coronavirus spread.
- Be proactive about reducing the number of interactions your family members have with others,
- Practice 6' physical distancing,
- Wear face coverings when you can't physically distance.
- As always, wash your hands frequently, stay home if sick, and clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, call the health department at 258-INFO (4636) to schedule a test.
Sincerely,
Ryan Rettig
Principal
Sentinel High School
Rob Watson
Superintendent