Florida Coronavirus Outbreak Traced To High School Graduation Ceremony; Almost 300 Attendees Asked To Go Into Quarantine

After health officials found a coronavirus positive amongst the 300 recent Bayside High School graduates and their guests following the ceremony which took place on July 25, the remaining attendees have been asked to go into self-quarantine.

The school district had previously announced safety measures for all high school graduations to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, including mandatory masks and spaced seating to promote social distancing. Physical contact between students and staff and all indoor activities were prohibited.

“The individual tested positive for the virus "shortly after attending," said Anita Stremmel, assistant county health director at Florida Departement of Health in Brevard County.

"The Florida Department of Health was notified about the positive case by Brevard Public Schools and we confirmed the positive result in our lab reporting system," Stremmel said in her email to Florida Today. As soon as the case was discovered, the department notified the families of the attendees about the same on July 27 via a letter.

Through the letter, the health department advised families to isolate any students who participated in the ceremony, including everyone who was even just present at the ceremony that took place on Bayside High's football field.

"We are advising anyone who attended the graduation ceremony to self-quarantine and monitor their symptoms for 14 days," she said.

Brevard Public Schools spokeswoman Nicki Hensley shared that nearly 300 students and at least 30 staff members attended the ceremony, where each student was allowed to bring two guests.

"As with all school events, it is important our attendees follow the established health and safety protocols. Upon learning of this situation, BPS worked quickly with our local Department of Health partners to determine the best course of action and proceed with our notification process," Hensley said.

BPS is also conducting "an extensive epidemiological investigation to identify individuals who may have had close contact with the virus”.

"Those individuals are then notified by their county health department and instructed to self-isolate for 14 days after their exposure to the virus, and to contact their county health department and health care provider immediately if they develop symptoms,” Hensley explained.