April 4, 2020 ~ 11:00 a.m.
The following letter was emailed to parents of LSR7 this morning. We thank the parents that notified the Tribune. The letter is as follows:
April 4, 2020
Dear LSR7 Families:
The health and safety of our students and staff is a top priority at the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, which is why we wanted to make you aware that the Jackson County Health Department has confirmed that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19.
Privacy laws limit what we can share with the public. However, it is essential that we communicate what we can in order to be transparent and keep our community informed about the steps we are taking to keep students and staff safe. The Jackson County Health Department is currently in the process of investigating and monitoring the individual. The employee is connected to our Nutrition Services meal program, and at the direction of public health officials, the limited number of individuals who came in contact with this individual have been asked to self-isolate for a 14-day period in an abundance of caution. We wish a speedy recovery to the employee.
Because of the limited responsibilities this employee had with Nutrition Services meal preparation, the health department does not believe that food or food packaging transmission as well as secondary contact (meaning coming into contact with someone who had a direct contact) is a risk at this time. We will continue to distribute meals Monday through Friday, as per our previously shared schedule. Our Nutrition Services team members have and will continue to strictly uphold public health and food safety guidelines, including practicing social distancing, as they prepare and provide thousands of meals for children each week. (Please note that per our regular calendar, Nutrition Services will not be providing meals on non-attendance days, Friday, April 10 and Monday, April 13.)
Due to what we know at this time about how COVID-19 spreads, public health officials have indicated that all of us should consider ourselves potentially exposed. Virus symptoms can range from mild to severe and could include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Anyone experiencing symptoms should self-quarantine and contact your doctor. If you’re feeling ill, it is recommended that you separate from others in the home, wear a face mask, cover coughs and sneezes, clean hands and surfaces often, and avoid sharing personal items. It is important to monitor symptoms for potential worsening, including shortness of breath. Anyone who is ill should stay home except to get medical care.
Lee’s Summit R-7 School District administrators will continue to work with its district health team, public health officials, and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to continue to monitor the situation and are following all public health guidelines strictly. It is important to know that because Jackson County is in community spread and our school buildings are closed, health officials won’t always contact the district when there is a new case. And in order to respect the privacy of our students and staff, we will not be sending notifications for positive cases that are unconnected to operations at a school site. We thank you for your cooperation and support.
Sincerely,
Katy Bergen
Executive Director of Public Relations
