As COVID-19 cases continue to increase in Dallas County, it’s going to take a community-wide effort to keep schools safe and healthy this year.

Many guidelines have been put in place by the local school districts to try to mitigate the virus. Dallas County Public Health Information Officer Ann Cochran tells Raccoon Valley Radio that it’s been a challenge since each school district has its own circumstances and hurdles. Overall, Cochran says she’s seen the community come together to do their part in mitigating the virus, “I think that most people are more than willing to go out of their way to make things safe for our students, and for the faculty, and the staff that serves them. Children really are wanting to get back together with their friends. All of the different measures that we can put into place to ensure a safe return to school, I think will really pay off.”

Cochran adds that DCPH has been hard at work with their contact tracing process to limit schools’ outbreaks. To this point, positive cases in schools have not affected operations and activities at ADM and Perry schools have been able to continue uninterrupted.