PUSD announces more cases; closes one classroom

Just two days after students returned to school following the Christmas break, an entire class has been told to stay home. Plumas Unified School District Superintendent Terry Oestreich announced five positive COVID cases yesterday, and today announced another two.

Today’s cases are for one at Quincy High School and one at the Pioneer campus of Quincy Elementary School. The class impacted on the Pioneer campus has been closed until contact tracing is completed with the assistance of Plumas County Public Health.

Plumas News asked Oestreich what made the Pioneer class unique, since other positive cases have been reported without classroom closures. “It’s a second-grade class so mask wearing can be inconsistent,” Oestreich said, and cited examples of classroom activities that bring children close together — too close if they aren’t wearing their masks. Oestreich said she is unsure how long the class will be closed; the district is working with Public Health to make that decision.