DCPS Superintendent tests positive for COVID-19

Nathan Havenner, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·2 min read

Jan. 21—Daviess County Public Schools Superintendent Matt Robbins confirmed that he has tested positive for COVID-19 during the district's regular board of education meeting Thursday.

"I think all of you know that I have tested positive for COVID-19, and my family has," Robbins said while participating in the meeting virtually. "I am pleased to report that we all have very minor symptoms..."

Robbins compared his symptoms to a heavy cold or upper respiratory infection, and said he is faring well.

"I am really grateful for the vaccination and the science making that happen," he said. "I know that there are a lot of people struggling with that in the hospitals. I really praise the Lord for the fact of the vaccination for the ability to treat it as a heavy cold or an upper respiratory infection.

The district, which is the only school district in Daviess County that has continued to have a mask optional policy, will be utilizing its virtual learning platform Friday.

"I just want to reaffirm that our commitment is to in-person learning with our students," Robbins said. "That is paramount to us and with that we do have a plan to return on Monday."

While the current plan is for DCPS tor return to in-person learning Monday, Robbins said district officials understand the situation regarding COVID-19 in Daviess County can change rapidly, which can effect DCPS plans.

"In our region right now, Daviess County and really the Green River Health District, cases have now tripled, which along with cases what occurs are isolations and quarantines that go with that," Robbins said. "The positivity rate across the state is now 31%. What that translates to is roughly one out of every three people are testing positive now for this variant. Both of those are historic pandemic highs."

COVID-19 testing was done earlier this week a all three DCPS middle schools, with 497 individuals being tested at that time.

"We made that available to not only students and staff, but parents and siblings, really, anybody that walked in the door, that wanted a free COVID-19 test, we provided that," Robbins said.

Out of those 497 people tested, about 150 individuals tested positive for the coronavirus. With a positivity rate of about 30%, those numbers correspond to Kentucky's statewide positivity rate.

Dale Stewart, board chairman, said that the DCPS Board of Education is supportive of Robbins decisions regarding face masks being optional.

"I can say that everybody on the board, we are very much in support of Mr. Robbins and his decisions in that area," he said immediately following the meeting. "We do look at it. We review it and I think we were actually going to review it tonight if (Robbins) had been here."

Nathan Havenner, Messenger-Inquirer, nhavenner@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-228-2837