NEW DETAILS: COVID-19 outbreaks detected at 3 Yuma elementary schools

Positive cases reported at Mesquite, Ronald Reagan, and Salida del Sol

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Crane School District says it has outbreaks of COVID-19 at three of its elementary schools.

Crane Superintendent Laurie Doering released an online statement informing parents of the situation Thursday. Doering said the district is currently dealing with outbreaks at Mesquite, Ronald Reagan, and Salida del Sol Elementary Schools.

The statement did not include details on the number of people infected, or whether they were students or staff members. The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) defines a " school outbreak" as:

• Two or more lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus within a 14-day period
• The infected individuals have had contact with others who do not share a house
• The infected individuals would not have had close contact outside of the school setting

Crane says it has contacted all the students and staff impacted by the outbreak. Administrators tell parents, if they did not receive notification from the school district, their children are not affected.

All three schools will continue with in-person learning in spite of the outbreaks. Superintendent Doering assures parents the district prepared for this scenario. She says all Crane's schools do have mitigation strategies in place.

"We prepared for this scenario, and we won’t let it damper the remarkable things we have planned for this school year. Our priority remains to provide our students with a quality education and follow protocols that will allow them and our staff members to remain as safe and healthy as possible." Doering writes in her statement to parents.

Crane students returned to the classroom on July 28. At this time face masks in the classroom remain voluntary, in accordance with Arizona law. However, students and staff must wear a face covering while riding school buses.

The school districts makes the following recommendations for students and their families:

• Wear a mask whenever indoors and unable to maintain a six-foot distance from other people.
• Masks are optional in classrooms but are highly encouraged.
• Students should stay home if they're feeling sick or experiencing flu-like symptoms (i.e., fever, cough, chills, fever, etc.)
• Remind students to notify staff members immediately if they're feeling unwell at school.

For more information on the Crane School District's COVID mitigation strategy, you can visit the district's website.