VIRGINIA KEY, FLA. (WSVN) - Maritime and Science Technology Academy has announced all in-person classes have been cancelled after two students tested positive for COVID-19.
The news came Monday morning, just a week after the school reopened to students, teachers and staff.
The district also released a statement about the school returning to fully online campuses, reading in part, “As we communicated with the school’s students, parents and employees yesterday, two MAST students have tested positive for COVID-19. In an abundance of caution and in consultation with the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade, schoolhouse instruction has pivoted to online learning to ensure that all individuals who came in close contact with the two students are notified, through the District’s school investigation and contact tracing protocols.”
Miami-Dade County Public School officials also said the school has been thoroughly sanitized.
MAST Academy is the most recent school in the district to report cases of COVID-19.
“It was a significant number of students that had direct contact with these two students,” Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said. “It was virtually impossible to notify just those students Sunday. Therefore, we made the decision yesterday to close the school down today.”
The other M-DCPS campuses to report coronavirus cases include:
- William Lehman Elementary
- Zora Neale Hurston Elementary
- Poinciana Park Elementary
- Charles D. Wyche Jr. Elementary
- Flagami Elementary School
- North Dade Center for Moden Languages Elementary
- Coral Park Elementary
- Royal Green Elementary
“Unfortunately, it’s something that we expected to happen,” United Teachers of Dade President Karla Hernandez-Mats said. “This is precisely why we did not want our schools to reopen.”
Days ago, a picture was tweeted out of a packed hallway of students that did not appear to have social distancing guidelines being followed.
“This is a lesson for students. You know, we heard that these students may have had contracted COVID-19 from being at a party and exposing themselves,” Hernandez-Mats said.
As of Monday afternoon, at least eight Miami-Dade County students and one employee have tested positive for the virus since the reopening of school campuses.
“It was almost inevitable that we would come across a number of cases in our district,” Carvalho said.
One positive student at Flagami Elementary was reported on the school district’s dashboard on Sunday. The school was sanitized but not shuttered, and students returned to campus as normal Monday morning.
“If children are exhibiting symptoms, do not send them to school. Inform the school community,” Carvalho said.
“We know that there are multiple other schools that are being investigated, and we just don’t want our schools to become super-spreader centers,” Hernandez-Mats said. “For students, make sure you’re wearing your mask. Parents, please help us tell your kids to wear their mask.”
MAST Academy is the only school in M-DCPS that has shut down all in-person classes after announcing the positive cases.
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