Two Sarasota students excluded from school due to coronavirus exposure

Two students in the Sarasota County School District have been excluded from school by the Department of Health due to their contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19. 

District officials say the students are well, and the exclusion is an overabundance of caution to keep the other students in the district safe. The contact did not occur in Sarasota County, according to a release sent to district parents.

To protect the privacy of the students, district officials are not disclosing which school or schools the students attend. However, Department of Health officials still say there is a low risk of exposure at district schools. 

Both students will be monitored, and if they do not develop further illness, they will be released and return to school. 

Parents and students are asked to follow the following steps to ensure they remain healthy: 

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; 
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, especially with unclean hands;
• Cough into the sleeve of your shirt or tissues that are properly disposed of;
• Consider getting a flu vaccine if you haven’t done so already;
• Avoid sharing food and drinks with others;
• Continue to eat healthy foods, exercise and get adequate sleep; and
• Students, staff and teachers with a fever should be excluded from school until they are fever-free without medication for 24 hours.