Peñasco ISD is working with the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) and New Mexico’s Department of Health (NMDOH) because an individual at our facility has tested positive for COVID-19. They have not been on campus since October 14th.
We have taken and will continue to take the necessary steps to protect your child and our community from COVID-19. Per guidance from both NMPED and NMDOH, we are required to investigate to see who had “close contact” with the staff member or student who tested positive for COVID-19. A “close contact” is defined as being closer than six feet for more than three minutes to a person who is positive for COVID-19 and all staff and students who were in the same classroom or on the same bus as the infected individual. According to NMPED and NMDOH, all staff who were in “close contact” with the infected individual must be tested seven to 10 days after close contact exposure to the positive COVID-19 individual. Both staff and student close contacts must self-quarantine at home for 14 days, regardless of the test result.
All persons who were potentially affected have been identified, contacted, and will be getting tested and quarantining at home for 14 days, as per the NMDOH. We were notified at 4:00 pm on Thursday October 22nd and worked through the evening and the next day to complete all steps required by the PED, DOH, and NMENV.
Areas of the school in which the COVID-19 positive individual spent time will be closed Monday, October 26th and Tuesday October 27th to be cleaned and disinfected.
You may call your child’s principal, Yvette Pacheco, School Nurse at 575-587-2502 ext. 1110, NMDOH at (505) 827-0006, or central office 575-587-2502 if you have questions.
