Alachua County Public Schools announced a partnership between the district and the Alachua County Health Department that will send more nurses to schools across the district in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 this fall semester.
Thursday's announcement specified that the health department has hired 30 nurses to work alongside the nurses who currently staff school's throughout the district.
"The additional nurses will be taking on most of the COVID-related tasks at schools, including contact tracing, testing, vaccination support and education," the announcement reads. "During the last school year, much of that work had to be done by school administrators and other staff members."
District Superintendent Carlee Simon said the additional support will benefit to the district by allowing principals and other staff members to "focus on the educational needs of students while still promoting the health of everyone at their school.”
Paul Myers, administrator of the health department, said that the collaboration with the school district and partners such as the Florida Department of Health, the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners, the University of Florida and UF Health is critical to reducing the impact of the virus.
“We are collectively building upon the successful reopening of our local K-12 schools,” he said. “We have demonstrated that through coordinated efforts, the detrimental effects of COVID-19 can be minimized and the critical in-person instruction of our children can continue.”