JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Contact tracing by the Health Department in Duval County Public Schools is suspended. In response, the school district has new procedures in place.
Health experts and parents say this decision is a step backward.
Justin McLeod, has a child who goes to Duval County Public School. As a parent, he wants his child to go to school in person, but getting rid of contact tracing does not make him feel at ease.
"It just doesn't make sense quite frankly," McLeod said. "I think it's putting everyone behind the eight-ball."
DCPS said it will - again - go back to communicating to parents when there is a positive case of COVID-19 in their child's classroom. If there a case reported, the school will send only one letter per class per week notifying parents of the possible exposure. This will apply to families of elementary school students.
"If they [the DOH - Duval] did this a year ago, the start of COVID, that would maybe make more sense," McLeod said. "Given now, you'd think the steps would be more aggressive."
First Coast News reached out to Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen, an expert in pediatrics in Duval County, he said the next variant of COVID-19 could be more contagious and affect children.
"This is a reflection of the dismantling of the public health system in the state by DeSantis," Goldhagen added.
As of last week, Florida Health reported more than 19,000 new cases of COVID-19 in Duval County. Goldhaen said parents and children should continue to: practice social distancing, handwashing, masking themselves in public spaces and getting vaccinated.
"I still see children in environments unmasked amongst people who are themselves unmasked," Dr. Goldhagen said. "And families need to know they put their children at risk when they do so."
As for McLeod, he wants to know why the DOH - Duval made the decision, because DCPS is "trying to their best with the hands they've been given."