Plum School District employee quarantined after testing positive for covid-19

A Plum Borough School District employee has tested positive for covid-19, according to district officials.

The employee, who has not been at work since Sept. 3, tested positive for the virus on Sept. 4, according to a notice sent to parents from Lisa Pace, a registered nurse who serves as the leader for the district’s nursing services department.

The notice, a copy of which was viewed by the Tribune-Review, said the employee may have been exposed to the virus by a family member.

The employee, who was not named, has been quarantined since Sept. 3.

Pace said three people who came into close contact with the employee were identified through contact tracing. Their families have been notified.

“These (three) individuals are now required to quarantine for the recommended 14 days from the date of exposure,” Pace said.

The letter to parents noted that people who test positive for covid-19 may have been contagious prior to the test being administered.

It urges parents to closely monitor their children’s health and notify their medical provider if they experience symptoms such as fever and chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue or muscle and body aches.

Plum’s first day of classes was Sept. 2. The district had initially planned for students to return to school on Aug. 19 but delayed the start of classes to give officials more time to monitor the spread and metrics associated with the coronavirus in the area prior to students returning to school.

Allegheny County on Wednesday added 68 coronavirus cases and nine deaths to its totals.

The additional cases bring the county’s totals to 10,915 positive covid-19 cases and 358 deaths, according to the county’s health department.