Humboldt County Public Health confirmed that there are no COVID-19 cases among Fortuna school children, despite a Times-Standard article — which has since been corrected — stating 10 students had tested positive for the virus.
According to the release, there are only five active cases of COVID-19 in K-12 children in the county. No students in Fortuna who have been attending in-person classes have tested positive for the virus.
The T-S article reported an email summarizing a conversation between Humboldt County Public Health nurse Anita Fullbright and Fortuna Elementary School District Superintendent Jeff Northern.
In the email, Northern said that Fullbright described Fortuna Elementary School District as “a hotspot” for the virus and was aware that 10 students tested positive for the virus.
However, the report also states that Joint Information Center spokesperson Heather Muller confirmed that the number 10 wasn’t used in the conversation and that Fortuna schools did not have an outbreak.
Read Humboldt County Public Health press release below and find the T-S article here.
Aug. 21, 2020 – Zero Cases of COVID-19 Among Fortuna Schoolchildren
In an article written today by Andrew Butler, the Eureka Times-Standard erroneously stated that a Public Health nurse said there were 10 positive COVID-19 cases among children in Fortuna public schools. While we appreciate that the attribution of this statement has subsequently been corrected, the statement itself remains inaccurate and has stirred concern among local parents.In fact, in all of Humboldt County there are only five active cases of COVID-19 in K-12 children. No students in Fortuna who have been attending classes onsite have tested positive for the virus.
This article appears in Public Art as Community Care.
“No students in Fortuna who have been attending classes onsite have tested positive for the virus.” So this makes it sound like students attending classes have been tested. This is not true. There was no requirement to test and get results before entering the in person classrooms, at least at the high school. There is no directive to do repeat testing. There is no directive to do much of anything except wash, mask, distance. There is no way to for the public to see a surge in Fortuna if the reporting is not done by cities. Why?