Oklahoma high school custodian tests positive for COVID-19 one week away from the start of school

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    MOORE, OK (KFOR) — A custodian for Moore High School tested positive for COVID-19 Tuesday, one week away from the first day of school for Moore Public Schools.

“I’m just shocked,” said Michael Reeves, the custodian who tested positive. “Everybody’s shocked that they know that I got it, now they’re scared.”

Michael Reeves is now in quarantine after Tuesday’s positive test. According to him, he did go to work when he had symptoms. Now, he said two other employees he works with are also getting tested.

“This past weekend I just felt really bad. I was taking everything I was fighting it,” Reeves said.

The symptoms started rearing their ugly head last week, according to Reeves. However, he said they got progressively worse.

“I didn’t think anything of it because I get allergies,” he said.

So, he decided to stay at work.

“We wear masks, we wear gloves we wash our hands,” he said. “We were doing double-duty cleaning.”

By Monday, he said the symptoms started to become too much.

“I need to go to the doctor, I need to see somebody,” he said. “It was like fever, headache, cold chills, I kept sweating and sweating, lost my taste, smell.”

Tuesday, his positive test results came back. Moore Public Schools released this statement below to KFOR:

“Moore Public Schools (MPS) Administration was made aware that one of our janitors tested positive for Covid-19. Fellow employees who may have been potentially exposed to the virus due to close contact were notified. These employees (confirmed case and potentially exposed) are following CDC guidance and MPS Return to Learn protocols and are quarantined from our schools. We have since sanitized and disinfected the school facilities where these employees were working. MPS will continue to take every possible measure to safeguard our employees and to provide safe facilities.”
-Dawn Jones, Public Information Officer, Moore Public Schools

Moore is offering three options for parents to return their children to school. In person, a blend of online and in person, or all virtual. Reeves said he still thinks they should be returning to school.

“It’s like the flu, you’re going to get it regardless anywhere you go,” he said.

However, Reeves said he is a little more concerned after his COVID-19 encounter.

“They need to be practice everything, cleaning hands, wear a mask, social distancing,” he said.

Moore Public Schools’ fall semester start date is set for August 13.

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