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School Not Informing of Covid Exposure, and Employment/Job Loss Question

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TeacherInNeed

New member
What is the name of your state? Missouri

A friend works for a private high school (actually, private but I believe receives funding...religious institution), and they are not informing staff/students about possible contact with positive students/staff. Is this not a requirement? Is this the job of the health department? I thought Contact Tracing was required by the school? I'm told the school is intentionally not tracing because they need the money from families/don't want to close and lose students, and they don't want the bad press. Thanks.

Also...on a separate note...if a staff member becomes sick on the job (linked to contact tracing) and has to be hospitalized/misses time or extended time from work, is the job guaranteed once patient is recovered? Is this a worker's comp situation?

Thanks
 


LdiJ

Senior Member
Your friend should be asking these questions of the school and the State.
Under the circumstances, it's iffy if the school would tell the truth. If the OP knows who the worker's comp insurance company is, it might be better to inquire directly with them.
 

quincy

Senior Member
And here is a link to the Missouri Chamber of Commerce which states that, “for worker’s’ compensation benefits to apply, the employer must determine that the employee is at greater risk of contracting the disease than the general public.”

http://mochamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Coronavirus-Legal-Issues-Primer_3-23.pdf

If there are several cases of Covid-19 reported in the community as a whole, the education employer is less likely to be held liable for an educator/employee who contracts the virus.
 
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Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
I am confused as to why one would contact the WC provider for information on this matter.
 

quincy

Senior Member
Missouri’s Governor has said that under Missouri law, Covid-19 could be considered an “occupational disease,” allowing for workers’ compensation benefits. First responders who contract Covid-19, for example, are eligible for benefits.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
Missouri’s Governor has said that under Missouri law, Covid-19 could be considered an “occupational disease,” allowing for workers’ compensation benefits. First responders who contract Covid-19, for example, are eligible for benefits.
Yes, but the OP's question concerned the requirements for the school to inform others of the "possible contact" with an infected person. The second question related to contract tracing being required. I don't believe either would directly involve workers' compensation.
 

quincy

Senior Member
Yes, but the OP's question concerned the requirements for the school to inform others of the "possible contact" with an infected person. The second question related to contract tracing being required. I don't believe either would directly involve workers' compensation.
The information on workers compensation was to address the last question asked by TeacherInNeed.

Privacy laws generally prohibit the identification of those with Covid-19. At most, a school would use this confidential information to inform those in the same classroom, or otherwise assumed to have been in close proximity to the one infected, that they might have been exposed to the virus.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
The information on workers compensation was to address the last question asked by TeacherInNeed.

Privacy laws generally prohibit the identification of those with Covid-19. At most, a school would use this confidential information to inform those in the same classroom, or otherwise assumed to have been in close proximity to the one infected, that they might have been exposed to the virus.
I don't know how/why I missed that...
(Was it edited in?)

Ok, it all is clear now :)
 

quincy

Senior Member
I don't know how/why I missed that...
(Was it edited in?)

Ok, it all is clear now :)
The question was there at the beginning. :)

I didn’t address worker’s compensation at first because the first link I provided pretty much covers everything. There probably is a better link specific to workers compensation than the second link but it addresses what was asked.

Here is a link to the CDC’s Frequently Asked Questions with a section on Contact Tracing that addresses privacy:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html
 
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zddoodah

Active Member
they are not informing staff/students about possible contact with positive students/staff.
What does this mean? Are you saying that some students and/or staff members have tested positive for COVID, that the school administration knows about the positive tests, and that the administration has not informed other students and staff about the positive tests? If that's what you're saying, then how is it that you (someone who apparently has no connection at all to this school outside of your friendship with some employee) know about the positive tests?

Is this not a requirement?
I would assume so (i.e., that it is not a requirement). Is there a reason why you (apparently) think such a requirement exists?

Is this the job of the health department?
Not sure what "this" refers to.

I thought Contact Tracing was required by the school?
"Required by the school"? You mean the school for which your friend works? I'll note that this statement is not a question. However, if your intent was to ask whether this school requires "contact tracing," I would hope it obvious that no one here will know what some unknown private school in Missouri requires.

Also...on a separate note...if a staff member becomes sick on the job (linked to contact tracing) and has to be hospitalized/misses time or extended time from work, is the job guaranteed once patient is recovered? Is this a worker's comp situation?
Yes. Workers' comp, and the employee should not lose his/her job as a result of a work-related injury or illness.
 

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