Five students who attend the Vashon Green School tested positive for COVID this week as they were returning to school following Spring Break.

To be safe, the school has gone to remote learning. The school will require all students to have negative PCR tests before returning to in-person classes.

Three of those five students participated in this weekend’s Earth Day event at Dig Deep Gardens & Art. The student participation primarily took place during the morning activities on Saturday, April 23.

None of the students had symptoms before the event and they did not test positive until Monday.

VashonBePrepared and MRC urge anyone who has been in contact with one of the students or attended the Earth Day event to be extra vigilant. Get tested right away if experiencing COVID-like symptoms.

Those symptoms often resemble seasonal allergies or a cold. For example, they could include sore throat or runny nose. If home tests are being used, the MRC recommends testing at least three days in a row to ensure against a false negative.

“We are seeing an increase in cases on Vashon during and following the spring break,” said Dr. Zach Miller, an infectious disease specialist volunteering with MRC. “It happens after every holiday. Families socialize and travel and become exposed to COVID. It has been a particular problem lately because so many people are so tired of the pandemic. They just want to stop worrying about safety precautions. Unfortunately, even though all of us are ready to be done with COVID, COVID isn’t done with us.”

The Earth Day event on Saturday was outdoors with limited indoor activities, which reduces the risk of transmission but does not eliminate it.

If you have concerns, please call the MRC helpline at 844-469-4554 to get advice about getting tested.

“We designed Dig Deep Gardens as a safe space for the community, even during the time of COVID. We follow CDC guidelines so our community can reconnect in the outdoor environment. To ensure everyone’s continued health and wellbeing, we are working closely with MRC and getting the word out to the island,” said Tami Stone, the Dig Deep Event Manager.

“Vashon Green School has worked closely with MRC since the beginning of the pandemic,” added Dana Schuerholz, director of the Green School.

“The MRC advice on COVID safety goes beyond the standard CDC recommendations and I believe the extra caution has benefited our community. We have been safely holding classes in person for almost two years. That’s a credit to the students and families of the school community and the good work of the MRC as advisors.”