12 more Battle Mountain students to quarantine after student’s positive COVID test

Another student at Battle Mountain High School has been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to school and public health officials, necessitating the immediate quarantine of 12 students.

The school has seen numerous positive cases among students and staff since opening for in-person learning in August but has managed to stay open to this point. Here’s the latest information sent out to BMHS parents and staff on Sunday:

A student at Battle Mountain High School has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Public Health has conducted contact tracing and determined that those in close contact with the student need to be quarantined. The student was last in school on Tuesday, November 3rd. Twelve students will quarantine. 

The students have been notified separately with quarantine orders from Public Health and should follow those orders. ALL parents and staff are receiving this letter of notification. Only the students receiving quarantine orders need to take further action. Public Health follows up with everyone on quarantine. All others can continue normal activities.

Each case of COVID-19 is followed up on by Public Health. As part of this investigation, Public Health:

• Directs the patient to stay home until they are no longer infectious
• Assesses the patient’s activities when they could have spread COVID-19 
• Instructs those who were close contacts of the person with COVID-19 to stay home for 14 days after the exposure

If it becomes necessary, please cooperate with contact tracing to help contain the spread of the virus and focus Public Health’s quarantine decisions.

This is how the system is designed to work. Rapidly identify a positive case, remove them from public circulation, remove others with close contact, and contain the spread.

If you have further questions, please contact Eagle County Public Health and Environment at 970-235-0187.