It starts on Tuesday, after the holiday weekend. Students and teachers at Olympia High School in Orlando are all going back to LaunchEd for the next two weeks because of several COVID-19 cases on campus.


What You Need To Know

  • Parents were notified on Sunday.

  • All school sports and extracurricular activities are postponed.

  • Six COVID-19 cases have been confirmed at the school.

In a mesage to parents, Principal Christy Gorberg said the decision to temporarily revert to a virtual-only learning format was made “out of an abundance of caution,” after the Florida Department of Health in Orange County confirmed six cases of COVID-19 at the school.

A possible seventh case is being reviewed.

The cases “have been confirmed and connected through FDOH contact tracing. All individuals and parents of children who have been identified as having been in close contact with a positive case will be notified after contract tracing is complete and provided direction from the Florida Department of Health,” Gorberg said.

“The Florida Department of Health has issued 156 quarantine letters to individuals determined to be exposed.”

The school is postponing all sports and extracurricular activities for the next two weeks.

“I hope that people will take this seriously and really think about wearing masks, because we don’t want to continue to shut down schools," school board member Pam Gould told Spectrum News 13. "We want people to get back to normal as much as possible, but we have to be cautious.”

Doctors aren't surprised by the shutdown.

“We knew this was going to happen, and so I’ve been telling parents even before they went back to school…have a plan A, a plan B, a plan C. Because if there is a closure like in this situation, you need to have a backup plan for your kids to be home,” pediatrician Candace Jones said.

According to Gorberg, the school will be “thoroughly cleaned and disinfected,” and drive-thru testing will be made available to all students and staff who have been on campus.

Students can also pick up free breakfast and lunch at Chain of Lakes Middle School from 4:30-6:00 p.m., starting on Tuesday.