OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health in Osceola County is providing free COVID-19 testing for students, teachers, and staff at Harmony Middle School after nearly a dozen staff members tested positive for the virus.
The Osceola County school district announced it’s closing the middle school for two weeks. Officials said 10 staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
The county health department offered free testing on Saturday for people who were on campus.
“We had a significant number of parents, students, and some teachers who were waiting to get tested,” Jeremy Lanier with FDOH in Osceola County said.
The district said the closure is a precaution. Officials said there is no evidence of secondary transmission to students.
This decision is forcing more than 650 students and staff to switch to digital learning starting on Monday. Face to face learning will resume on campus on September 14th.
“We continue to monitor and keep in communication with the school district and provide testing as needed,” Lanier said.
Lanier said the health department is working closely with the school district during the pandemic. The free testing at Harmony Middle School is only for students, teachers, and staff who were on campus.
“We’ll provide testing throughout the day to service all of the folks who are coming out here and to give them a little comfort,” he said.
Lanier said they are also handing out flyers to educate the community and make sure everyone practices safety guidelines, including wearing face coverings and washing your hands.
Lanier adds right now the health department ins’t aware of other schools that would need to close because of coronavirus, but he adds that is something they are watching closely.
“We’re keeping communication open and we have staff members who are keeping their ear to the ground so to speak to make sure that we respond as needed,” Lanier said.
The free drive thru testing is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the middle school.
Click here for more information on testing sites in Osceola County.