The Culberson County-Allamoore Independent School District has suspended all of its activities over concerns about potential exposure to the COVID-19 (coronavirus).
In a statement from CCAISD on Thursday, May 28, Superintendent Ken Baugh announced that all activities at the school building will be halted until further notice. This includes their meal delivery program and the outdoor graduation ceremony that was scheduled to take place at Eagle Field on Friday.
An employee began displaying signs of possible COVID-19 infection Wednesday night and that the individual was sent to El Paso to be tested Thursday morning.
Out of an abundance of caution, the district closed the campus until test results have returned.
Currently, no positive COVID-19 tests have been reported in Culberson County.
CCAISD statement
Good morning, I am closing down all activities at the school building until further notice. We have an employee with symptoms on the watch list for Covid-19. Anyone that has been in our building in the last 14 days would have been exposed, our employee started exhibiting symptoms last night. Our employee is on their way to El Paso now to be tested. I will email everyone as soon as I know the results. We will stay closed until we have results. A negative result means everything back to normal and a positive result will most likely result in a recommendation that everyone be tested. I will stay in close contact with Carlos Urias, our County Judge.
Please do not panic, until we have the test back, we do not know. In the state of Texas, 4% of those tested will be positive. In El Paso County, it looks like there are 2480 cases with 22,587 tests which is 11% tested positive. I am truly taking these steps to be cautious.
Here are some answers to some questions:
- Our Meal delivery program will not occur until either the test results come back or I can find a solution for student meal preparation and delivery.
- High School Graduation on Friday and our Top Student Ceremony tonight are postponed until we get the test results or the quarantine period is over. Because of exposure to almost all of our staff, they will have exposed several in the community. Any type of gathering will now further expose community members. We hope to get the test results back within 3 days, but with El Paso now a hot spot in Texas, we can not predict the time.
- No Athletic conditioning programs will start until further notice.
Ken Baugh, Superintendent
Because symptoms can take as long as two weeks to appear after exposure to the virus (while some people can remain entirely asymptomatic), health officials continue to urge the public to avoid unnecessary trips and gatherings of more than 10 people, especially if you have underlying health conditions, and have advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.
Town of Van Horn statement
Out of an abundance of caution, City Hall is closing all offices today, 5/28 and tomorrow, 5/29. Given the tight-knit nature of our community, we need to socially distance our staff to proactively prevent any community spread. We are closely monitoring the potential COVID-19 case at the school and will keep you updated as we learn more.
City Hall phone lines are still open and we will continue to respond to any emergencies. (432) 283-2050 or (432) 284-0718.
Please do your part to socially distance, wash your hands, and wear face masks in public. Stay safe, Van Horn!
Culberson County statement
CCAISD is following protocol as recommended by the Governor’s Orders. Because of these concerns, the City of Van Horn, all County buildings and CCAISD facilities are shut down. The individual being tested had extensive contact with so many people especially school employees. If you have had contact with any school employee, protocol says that you must shelter in place until further notice. I am asking the community to continue following the guidelines regarding gatherings and social distancing. Wear a facial covering when out in the community at all times. I have stated time and time again that when travel restrictions are relaxed throughout the State of Texas and throughout the United States, that rural communities like Van Horn would be exposed to Covid-19 even more so. Our neighboring counties of Hudspeth, Reeves and Presidio have official Covid-19 cases within their borders now. Please take this Pandemic serious and continue to error on the side of caution at all times. Continue to protect yourselves, your families and the community which we live in.
Culberson Hospital statement
At this time, face masks are required to enter the hospital. Hospital patient visitation is limited to one caregiver only. Crane Pharmacy will provide curbside service located at the circle drive in front of the hospital entrance.
The best way to prevent infection is to take steps to avoid exposure to this virus, which are similar to the steps you would take to avoid the flu. Disinfect often touched surfaces, wash hands and avoid touching your eyes nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) also recommends that you continue practicing social distancing. Stay a safe distance from other people to avoid catching or spreading illness. Avoid crowds, skip the handshake and minimize physical contact. Additionally, the CDC recommends using simple cloth face coverings in public to help slow the spread of the virus if unable to stay six feet away from others.
If you think you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or are showing symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath or fatigue, please call us at 432-283-2760 and we can help guide your next steps for testing or treatment.
