UNION COUNTY, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is urging Union County Public Schools to follow the guidance offered by the state's COVID-19 toolkit for K-12 schools.
State Secretary of Health Dr. Mandy Cohen penned a letter to the Union County Board of Education on Wednesday, Sept. 15, asking officials to rescind the motion passed during an emergency meeting on Monday, Sept. 13. The board voted 8-1 to immediately end staff responsibility for contact tracing and quarantine operations for any asymptomatic or non-positive students and staff.
The state is asking UCPS to adopt all of the recommendations in the toolkit for COVID-19 guidance, which includes contact tracing and quarantine measures.
"If Union County public schools do not take such steps by September 17th, legal action may be required to protect the public's health," the letter reads.
You can read the full letter below. If you are unable to see the attached letter, click here.
In response to the letter, Union County Public Schools released the following statement: "The Union County Board of Education received a letter from DHSS Secretary Mandy Cohen late this evening. The board is reviewing the letter. When a response is available, it will be shared publicly."
Earlier on Wednesday, the Union County Board of Education issued a statement on why they decided to make changes on Sept. 13. You can read their statement by clicking here.
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