CCSD says 101 employees, 22 students have contracted COVID-19

The Clark County School District reported Monday that 101 employees and 22 students have tested positive for COVID-19 from March through Aug. 7.

A statement from the district said it provides the Southern Nevada Health District with names and contact information for any individuals who have been in close contact with a COVID-positive employee, while SNHD handles the notification of close contacts.

“CCSD can not legally provide the name or any identifying information about an employee’s health, including a positive COVID-19 test, under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA),” the statement said. “Employees have also been reminded that posting information about fellow employee’s health on social media would be a violation of HIPAA.”

It’s not clear whether any individuals were exposed to the coronavirus at schools.

While some staffers have been on campus throughout the year, more and more of the district’s 35,000 employees have been returning to campus since the last week of July to prepare for school under a hybrid model that allows remote work when possible.

The tally of COVID-19 cases was the first provided by the district, though individual departments such as the Transportation Department have notified employees of cases of the illness in recent months, according to records obtained by the Review-Journal.

Individual schools have also announced positive cases among students and athletes.

One CCSD employee — cafeteria manager Ronaldo Cesa — died after contracting COVID-19 in April.

Contact Aleksandra Appleton at 702-383-0218 or aappleton@reviewjournal.com. Follow @aleksappleton on Twitter.