Ponca City Public Schools shared a COVID-19 weekly update on Sunday, and 33 new positive cases were reported between August 23-27. PCPS also noted 181 close contacts and 214 total affected.
A total of 10 PCPS staff members are out due to COVID as of August 29. This includes two for Po-Hi and one each for East Middle School, Lincoln Elementary, Union Elementary, Washington Pre-K and Woodlands Elementary. A total of 171 students are out due to COVID. This includes 63 for Union Elementary, 45 for Po-Hi, 24 for Roosevelt Elementary, 15 for West Middle School, 7 for Liberty Elementary, 6 for Lincoln Elementary, 4 for Washington Pre-K, 3 for East Middle School, 2 for Woodlands Elementary and one each for Garfield Elementary, WCA and Trout Elementary.
The Delta variant of COVID-19 is highly communicable and the first full week of school resulted in multiple positive isolations and close contact quarantines.
NEW UPDATE: The OSDH expects close contact quarantines of unvaccinated individuals. PCPS will call parents of close contacts to inform them of quarantines. New guidance begins Aug. 30, 2021.
By Federal Order, masks are required on public transportation modes, including school buses and school vehicles if more than one person is in the vehicle. School vehicles include route buses, activity buses and any other vehicle owned by the school. If all people in the vehicles are masked up, close contact quarantine is not required.
If your child is symptomatic, do not send them to school and take them for a COVID-19 testing. If they have tested for COVID, do not send them to school until negative results are returned. PCPS will provide Distance Learning while symptomatic, awaiting test results, tests positive or if they’re a close contact.
Since all elementary students are too young to receive a vaccination, and to prevent the spread of COVID-19, PCPS will begin transitioning entire elementary classrooms, not just close contacts, to Distance Learning if more than one positive case presents in a classroom within a 3-day period.
The Ponca City Public School District will continue to maintain the PCPS Contact Tracing Totals spreadsheet on their website at pcps.us. Please stay up-to-date on trends by viewing the PCPS Contact Tracing Totals.