Note: This story has been updated with more information.

Three Ouray School grades are in quarantine and high school students were temporarily moved to remote learning after staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

One elementary school class will remain in quarantine until Feb. 2 and ninth graders and some staff members must quarantine until they return to school on Feb. 8, Superintendent Tod Lokey said in an email Thursday. The preschool class, which was initially switched to remote learning due to staffing issues, has also been instructed to quarantine until Feb. 8, Lokey said. 

The return dates vary “based on the most recent date of exposure,” he said.

Lokey announced Wednesday night that two staff members tested positive and a high school student was a probable case. At the time, two grades were instructed to quarantine and preschool and high school students were moved to remote learning due to staffing issues. 

A third staff member received a positive test result Thursday, and three additional staff members have been told to quarantine due to exposure, he said. 

“Select students who work with a specific staff member” have also been instructed to quarantine.

Exposed students in quarantine who are in fourth grade or older can return to school earlier, on Feb. 4, if they register for an optional COVID test and are negative, Lokey said. Guidelines from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment allow for shorter quarantine periods after exposure with negative testing. 

Parents must consent to the optional SalivaDirect COVID-19 test, and must be present during the testing. Students who are eligible for the testing and shorter quarantine period will be contacted about signing up for a drive-up test, he said. Younger elementary students will not be able to test and return early.

Other high school students have not been directly exposed, but were shifted Thursday to remote learning “due to staffing issues related to exposures,” Lokey said. Classrooms were also cleaned Thursday while students were learning from home. Tenth through 12th graders can now return to school Friday, Jan. 28, he announced Thursday afternoon. “Several staff will remain quarantined and will support learning remotely through video conferencing,” he said in the email to high school families. 

The positive cases were identified through the school’s regular testing on Tuesday. All teachers and staff members have access to testing weekly through COVIDCheck Colorado. 

School meals are still available to students learning from home. “Parents may request breakfast and/or lunch by texting Amy at 970-318-6993 before 9AM,” Lokey said. “Remote students who receive special program support, specifically individual education plans, and are not in quarantine will have arranged times to receive services remotely or in person.”

The cases and exposures will not affect the boys and girls varsity basketball teams’ first games this weekend, Lokey said, but the boys junior varsity team will not play this week. “The above shortened quarantine option will allow them to play in games next week,” he said.