Education

Coronavirus concerns close a Catholic school in Lexington. Parent treated patient.

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A Catholic school in Lexington is closing Monday for cleaning because “a parent in our community has treated a patient who has a confirmed case of COVID-19,” Christ the King principal Paula Smith told parents in a letter.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced Sunday night that four cases of novel coronavirus had been confirmed in Kentucky. One is in Lexington, two in Harrison County, where public schools are closed this week, and one in Jefferson County.

While the parent at the Catholic pre-k through 8th grade school has not tested positive for COVID-19, the parent was exposed and will be tested tomorrow, the letter said.

This parent is currently self-quarantined. However, the parent reports that according to epidemiologists and infection control, it was a low-risk exposure and is asymptomatic at this time, according to the letter.

For extra precautionary measures, not per Centers for Disease Control guidelines or at the recommendation of any state officials, the student of the parent will not be in attendance at school until the parent is confirmed negative for the virus, the letter said.

“We will do this in order to make every effort we possibly can to keep our community healthy. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but the safety of our children and staff is paramount,” Smith said.

This story was originally published March 8, 2020 at 11:05 PM.

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Valarie Honeycutt Spears
Lexington Herald-Leader
Staff writer Valarie Honeycutt Spears covers K-12 education, social issues and other topics. She is a Lexington native with southeastern Kentucky roots.  Support my work with a digital subscription
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