ALAMOSA— Alamosa School District continues to take steps to “slow the spread” of COVID, which now totals 24 positive cases of the virus districtwide. That is the highest number of positive cases ASD has reported since the beginning of the school year.

Since the end of last week, additional cases have been reported at Ortega Middle School, resulting in all three grades being quarantined and students learning remotely until next Tuesday, September 28. Parents were notified of the schoolwide quarantine via a special email messaging system.

On Tuesday of this week, a second-grade class was quarantined as the result of additional cases. That quarantine will be in effect until Tuesday October 5, fourteen days after the date of quarantine as established by CDPHE.

“We [the administration at ASD] are very aware of the challenges that are created for parents and families when students are quarantined, and we want to assure them that these decisions are not made easily,” Assistant Superintendent Luis Murillo said. “We all want students in the classroom and learning in person, and we will continue to do our very best to make that happen.  We also continue to highly encourage wearing a mask and keeping students at home if they are feeling sick.”

Murillo further said they had received some feedback on the instruction students are receiving via remote learning and they “are working on that.” He emphasized again that the school district is taking these steps in hopes of limiting future transmission of the virus and preventing further quarantines.

As was reported in the September 21 edition of the Valley Courier, 40% of all new COVID cases from September 12 to September 19 were among people under the age of 19, lending credence to the statement that this continues to be a rapidly changing story and will be reported on as more information becomes available.