Amid a record-breaking week that saw 53 new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Humboldt County, Lost Coast Outpost is reporting one case has a number of students at Fortuna High School quarantining. According to the post, parents of FHS students received phone messages from school administrators last night letting them know "a student at Fortuna High tested positive for COVID-19 today." It also explained that those who'd been in contact with the student would be quarantining and "put on distance learning." 
While calls to the his office were not returned today, in a previous conversation with the Journal, Fortuna Union High School District Superintendant Glen Senestraro explained that while FHS returned to in-person instruction, it did so with a number of COVID-19 protocols in place. Along with hand washing and sanitizing, this includes morning temperature and symptom checks at all school entry points. While in class, students are required to wear masks and maintain 3 feet of distance from one another, while adults keep 6 feet apart.

To decrease the number of students and teachers coming into contact with one other every day, the school has broken the normal schedule of six classes per day down to two, two-hour-plus classes per day for three six-week blocks. For example, a student might take a math class followed by history. Then in three weeks, those classes change to another pair of subjects. When those two periods are finished, students pick up lunch and head home, eliminating the mingling at lunchtime. Once classrooms are emptied, teachers are asked to clean the spaces.

Senestraro had also said that the school district would be following county guidance on how to proceed in the case of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis among its staff and students.