MISSOULA — Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) updated families on Monday about COVID-19 and the news was concerning.
The District's COVID Communication Team stated in an email that they've seen a surge in new cases since the winter break.
A total of 126 COVID-19 cases were recorded in MCPS schools for the week of Jan. 3 - Jan. 7. So far this week, there have been 45 cases reported.
MCPS is encouraging students to remain home and seek a COVID-19 test if they have symptoms. And if a student tests positive, parents are asked to call their school.
There are options for people looking for a COVID-19 test.
The District’s COVID-19 Testing Department can be reached at 406-240-4721. They ask that you leave your name and contact information. It may take 24-to-48 hours to schedule a test.
You can reach out to the Missoula City-County Health Department or another testing clinic in Missoula County. Additionally, at-home COVID-19 tests can be used.
MCPS hopes to update COVID-19 numbers by 4 p.m. each day.
The latest on COVID-19 in MCPS schools can be found at https://www.mcpsmt.org/Page/15088
Dear MCPS families:
We want to provide an update on COVID-19 numbers. Unfortunately, we have seen a surge in new cases since the winter break. While we are hopeful this surge will be brief, we are encouraging anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 to remain at home and seek a COVID test.
The latest CDC guidance reduces the recommended isolation period for positive cases and quarantines for close contacts to 5 days in most cases. The updated guidelines can be found at www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1227-isolation-quarantine-guidance.html [cdc.gov].
INFORMATION ABOUT TESTING
If your student develops symptoms, please keep your student at home and seek a COVID test by contacting:
- The District’s COVID-19 Testing Department at 406-240-4721.
- When calling MCPS, please leave your name and contact info, and our nursing staff will return the call to set up an appointment. Due to high volume, it may take 24-48 hours to schedule a test.
- While demand is high, we are prioritizing testing for symptomatic MCPS students and staff.
- The Missoula City-County Health Department at 258-INFO (4636).
- Contacting one of the other testing clinics in Missoula County.
- Or by obtaining a home test.
INFORMATION ABOUT MCPS DATA
If your student tests positive, we ask that you notify your school. This information is confidential and will be shared only with MCPS health services.
Families are encouraged to refer to the COVID Summary Data readily available on the MCPS website for regular updates of new positive cases on a school-by-school basis:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTg8bkYO5cHCV501DVLAR-_yagcjZ20Ap24SNkPSnIF8TklijAekcjyYkb_9EKy3u3YCUGss3ide6uU/pubhtml?gid=1907458226&single;=true&urp;=gmail_link [docs.google.com]
Our goal is to update these numbers by 4 P.M. each school day. Each Monday, we will provide an updated tally of total cases since the start of the school year, including the total in each school, and the total number of cases among students compared to staff; as well as a weekly update of new cases in grades K-5, 6-8, 9-12, and among staff. Please keep in mind that numbers may change slightly as new information becomes available or is reconciled with other data.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your student’s school. Thank you for all your help as we continue working to keep our school communities healthy and safe.
Missoula County Public Schools
COVID Communications Team