Eleven students at Carpenter Elementary and 72 students at Pine Bluffs Elementary have been quarantined after a staff member at each school tested positive for COVID-19, Laramie County School District 2 Superintendent Jon Abrams said Thursday.

Abrams says he was notified last (Wednesday) night that a staff member at Carpenter Elementary had tested positive, so they had to quarantine the 3rd grade class.

"Then this morning I get to work and I find out we have a staff member (at Pine Bluffs Elementary) who has tested positive, so our 4th, 5th and 6th grades have been quarantined through the 19th of October," he said.

The two positive cases are the first in the district since school began Aug. 17.

"We've flown under the radar," said Abrams. "I guess it was our turn."

Abrams encourages parents to watch students for possible symptoms such as sore throats, loss of taste or smell, fever, cough and body aches and to visit with their health care provider or get tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible if symptoms are present.

Free COVID-19 testing is available through the Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department.

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