Belleville school bus driver who delivered lunches tests positive for coronavirus
Belleville High School District 201 informed parents Monday that a school bus driver who has helped deliver lunches to Belleville East students since the high school campuses were closed March 17 due to COVID-19 pandemic has tested positive for the virus.
In an email to parents, District 201 Superintendent Jeff Dosier said the administration became aware of the positive result on Sunday night.
Based on information from authorities and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the students who received the free or reduced-cost sack lunch from the bus have a low risk of exposure, Dosier said.
The district is advising families along the route to self-monitor by taking their temperatures twice a day and to keep an eye on other respiratory symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath and sore throat until 14 days after March 29.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are in the process of notifying those families who may have received a lunch from this bus,” Dosier said in the email.
As of Monday, Dosier said most families had already been notified.
According to Dosier, the employee was assigned to a Belleville East High School bus route that delivered approximately 15 meals per day.
The employee drove the bus and had no physical contact or involvement in preparing or distributing the meals, Dosier said. The St. Clair County Health Department nevertheless advised the district to notify other employees who had been in contact with the bus driver.
“The safety and health of our employees, students and families is our most critical priority at this time,” Dosier said in the email. “We encourage each of you to follow and adhere to the governor’s stay at home order and practice social distancing.”
As of Monday afternoon, 41 people in St. Clair County have tested positive for coronavirus. It was unclear Monday if the school bus driver was included in that total.
This story was originally published March 30, 2020 at 11:48 AM.
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