District won't say how Hillsborough superintendent was exposed to COVID-19
TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Addison Davis is in quarantine and "feeling great" following a COVID-19 exposure.
The district isn't releasing much information about Davis' exposure, except to say his situation did not involve a school. A spokesperson, however, would not say whether the exposure occurred at the district offices, which had three COVID-19 cases last week and two more Monday.
"I feel great. In the last 48 hours I've had two assessments that are both negative," Davis said. "While I would love to be in schools today, it's more important for me to continue to model expectations and follow protocols so that I protect myself and also get the chance to protect others as well."
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The superintendent's situation is shining a light on how the district is handling quarantines. On Monday, there were about 1,800 students and staff quarantined, which is about 2 percent of the district's population.
The daily and full-year quarantine totals are currently unknown because the district doesn't track the information on the school system's COVID-19 dashboard.
A spokesperson said those numbers have never been posted on the website because the data changes so often and is so fluid that it would be too difficult to keep the information accurate.
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Davis also said there has not been a need to close down any schools or wings due to COVID-19.
"We have indicators that allow us to determine whether or not we need to have site visits with TGH, with USF Health, whether we're looking at internal protocols, whether we have to look at particular wings or school closures," he said.
Some parents, including Damaris Allen with ‘Safe Schools, Safe Community,’ say they'd like to see better transparency with quarantine numbers.
"My kids are still e-learning. I don't want to send them back to school brick and mortar for them to consistently be put in quarantine to be sent home again," Allen said, adding she wonders why the district can't release more information about Davis' case, including where and when he was exposed. "He has been doing his part in being accessible and being available to the district, but then that also puts a larger amount of people at risk."
Following his exposure, Davis posted a statement on the district's social media pages indicating he plans to work remotely during his 14-day quarantine.