Hedley teacher quarantined with COVID-19

Hedley CISD is taking extra precautions this week after a school teacher there was confirmed to have the COVID-19 virus.

Superintendent Garrett Bains said the school learned of the teacher’s condition Sunday evening and had the classroom and adjacent common areas deep cleaned before students returned Monday morning.

The teacher is in quarantine, but Bains said since masks had been worn and social distancing had been practiced, the teacher’s students did not have to be quarantined.

“We’re really closely monitoring things now and have stepped up making sure masks are in place and hands are being washed,” Bains said. “We were doing that already, but not we’re in hyper mode.”

Bains said the school realizes it can only do so much as kids come from several different communities to go to school in Hedley and they are all going to stores, to church, and to other activities.

“We’re not the only place that someone could be exposed,” he said “but we’re being extra careful in taking temperatures every day and watching for symptoms.”

Total Donley County positive cases of COVID-19 moved up to 53 this week, with the Clarendon Family Medical Center monitoring two active cases. Seven tests were pending at the local clinic as of Tuesday morning.