Tupelo Public School District is responding to a COVID-19 outbreak

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Classes haven’t even started yet in most schools, and one district is already reporting a COVID outbreak. The Tupelo Public School district is postponing open house events at all schools, due to an outbreak in the THS Band. A statement on the band’s website says in part “School nurses and administrators have determined that there is an active COVID outbreak within the band membership.” The state department of health defines an outbreak in a school setting as 3 or more people diagnosed within the same group in a 14 day period. Open Houses at Milam and Tupelo Middle School were scheduled for Monday, and Elementary schools were going to hold theirs on Tuesday. Those will be rescheduled. Band students who may have been exposed will be contacted and told if they need to quarantine. The decision on a planned band performance scheduled for Monday night will be announced Monday. TPSD is one of the districts that decided to make masking optional this school year.