BEAUMONT, Texas — This week, some students and teachers are returning to the classroom but the Texas Education Agency isn't currently collecting data on coronavirus cases in schools.
The TEA has released guidance for schools to follow in the case of a student or staff member testing positive for covid-19.
The school is responsible for notifying the local health department, closing off areas the individual was around and disinfecting areas and surfaces used by that person.
The district also must notify all teachers, staff and families of all impacted students.
“The question of data collection is still under active deliberation by TEA, and we expect to have an update in the coming weeks on what, if any, data will be required and how it will be recorded,” the TEA said in a statement released to our sister station, KHOU.
Schools reaching out to health departments is a crucial part of the process.
But what happens next and is the data being shared?
We spent the day talking with the Beaumont, Port Arthur and the Hardin County Health Departments.
Theses health departments will be following the numbers very closely to identity any school related COVID-19 clusters.
“We have met by zoom to the various district we report for,” Judith Smith, of the Port Arthur Health Department told 12News via phone.
Schools are required to report confirmed cases of other infectious diseases, like the measles or whooping cough and now covid-19 cases will be added to the list.
“We have a 24/7 disease reporting plan, said Sharon Whitley, of the Hardin County Health Department.
“The procedure for any infectious disease is to first confirm the case and once we confirm it, we will begin an investigation,” Whitley said.
Contact tracers will work to determine who came in close contact with the infected person but nailing down "where" an exposure happened may be challenging.
“Those individuals quarantine for that 14 days,” Smith said.
“Sometimes if it starts in the family and then there is a school related case it may be a little difficult to see as to where the process started,” she said.
The information on positive cases is supposed to flow from the school to the local health department and then to the state.
Currently, no state agency has plans in place to collect data on the spread of covid-19 in Texas schools.
But in Southeast Texas the health departments say they’re keeping tabs on how the virus spreads in schools.
Just because the state has no plans to track the data it doesn't mean the health departments aren't getting the data according to the Beaumont Public Health Department’s Sherry Ulmer.
Southeast Texas health departments must send a case investigation to the state which could include detailed info including where the person were exposed.