Hopewell students go virtual after COVID-19 exposure

HOPEWELL, Va. (WWBT) - Students in Hopewell will be doing classes online after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. This case marks nine for the district since the beginning of the school year.

The school district says the person is a transportation staff member, and students who were being taken to Woodlawn and Hopewell High School for some in-person classes were potentially exposed.

5 people were in close contact, and are now in quarantine, and a few others are being asked to stay home.

The district qualifies close contact as someone who spent more than 15 minutes in a 24 hour period less than 6 feet apart.

Students whose classes will be virtual the rest of this week have been notified.

“We don’t wanna be caught off guard if something expands that we are being careful enough,” said Jay McClain, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, Hopewell City Public Schools.

All other school activities will continue as scheduled.

Hopewell Schools has about 50 students out of the district’s 4,000 inside of the building, the rest are already learning from home.

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