5,600 Hillsborough students quarantined due to COVID-19; emergency school board meeting this Wednesday

Thousands of kids, hundreds of employees quarantined in Hillsborough County

Aaron Mesmer reports

TAMPA, Fla. - Thousands of students in Hillsborough County public schools are being quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19.

As of Monday, the school district said 5,599 students are either in isolation due to a positive case or in quarantine due to exposure. That's an increase of about 1,200 students from Friday when officials said 4,477 students had to be quarantined.

The number includes students who either tested positive or were exposed, maskless, to a positive case.

The district does not require vaccinated students to quarantine after exposure unless they develop symptoms.

Meanwhile, 316 school district employees are also quarantining, up from 289 on Friday.

The Hillsborough County School Board will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday at 1 p.m. to discuss the latest impacts and the best way to mitigate the spread of the virus, "up to and including mandatory face coverings for all students and staff," a notice from the district said.

The board will allow for one hour of public comment at the meeting, which will be held in the school board's auditorium.

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