October 21, 2020 4:30 a.m.

One Douglas High School student has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement on the Winston-Dillard School District’s website.

Wednesday morning at 5:30 a.m. the district announced that the school is closed for the day “due to a lack of instructors and substitutes”.

The statement said the district was notified by the Douglas Public Health Network and County Public Health Officer Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer on Tuesday. The statement said, “We are working very closely with local public health and the Oregon Health Authority to notify parents of the children in the cohort that the child that tested positive was in and are asking them to quarantine for 14 days and monitor for symptoms”.

Dannenhoffer said although this is the third school outbreak that has been seen locally, “…it is another example of a school utilizing student cohorts to reduce risk and mitigate transmission of COVID-19 in a school setting”. Dannenhoffer said he believes the risk is low to the school community and DPHN remains available to support the families that are quarantining.

The statement said families of children in the same cohort of the student that tested positive were notified Tuesday evening.

Douglas High School reopened to hybrid in-person instruction on October 5th, after receiving a special exemption from the Oregon Department of Education.

East Primary School in Sutherlin and South Umpqua High School in Myrtle Creek have also had a student test positive for COVID-19.