HAZARD, Ky. - A coronavirus outbreak at a southeastern Kentucky school has spread to 38 people, a health official said.
The outbreak among Hazard Independent High School football players had spread by Monday to 18 football players, three coaches and 17 family members and close contacts, Kentucky River District Health Department Director Scott Lockard told the Lexington Herald-Leader. Lockard said all 38 have been recovering at home.
The school suspended athletic team workouts July 11 after nine players and a coach tested positive for the coronavirus in a cluster, he said. With the increase in cases, he said athletic workouts, practices and training at the school are suspended indefinitely.
"The outbreak is related, we feel like is related, to out-of-state travel," Lockard said, adding that officials think the high school weight room "was a big part of the transmission between the students."
Hazard Independent Superintendent Sondra Combs said last week that the district would delay reopening until Aug. 24 due to "the rising number of positive cases and some anxiety of our families."
Lockard said he could not confirm whether the school was the one Gov. Andy Beshear mentioned during a Friday news conference as an example of how the virus can spread.
Beshear declined to identify the school, but said masks were not being worn inside a weight room.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness and be fatal.