Crest High School in Shelby to close for 2 weeks due to COVID-19 cases

CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. — Crest High School in Shelby has closed its campus until Oct. 15, because the Cleveland County Health Department identified multiple COVID-19 cases.

Channel 9′s Ken Lemon learned that seven staff members tested positive and more cases could be confirmed.

[WSOC SPECIAL SECTION: RETURN TO LEARNING]

“I don’t feel comfortable anymore," student Ebony Edwards said.

Students are typically in the building two days a week, but Edwards doesn’t want to be there when those classes restart.

She said she wants to switch to full-time distance learning for the sake of her 70-year-old grandmother who has congenital heart disease and needs a defibrillator at home.

“Her doctor told her like if she was infected, she could die. Y’all really put me at risk to put my grandma at risk," Edwards said.

School board member Danny Blanton feared this could happen. On Monday night, he strongly opposed a proposal to bring K-5 students back to school four days a week in 26 days.

At this point, there were 47 confirmed cases on campuses across Cleveland County, and only four of those were from transmission on campus. In the latest cases at Crest, health officials said some of those who tested positive had contact with each other on and off campus. That made contact tracing difficult.

“We’ve got to take this serious,” Blanton said. " We need to be safe for everyone."

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Officials said the school building is closed temporarily for students and employees.

Virtual learning will replace in-person instruction until the campus reopens.

CLICK HERE to read the letter sent to parents.

Cleveland County health officials said that people 17 and under make up about 10% of the county’s COVID-19 positive tests.

Cox Media Group