CAPE CORAL, Fla. — A Lee County family has some questions about how students are sent into quarantine.
They say the Florida Department of Health made a big mistake, accidentally sending their daughter into a 14-day quarantine.
“Last night, I just got a call from our school that I may have gotten in contact with another person who just got COVID, ” said Madison Guminski.
They advised Madison, a student at Mariner High School, to isolate herself staying away from school, family, and any pets.
She was devastated, as this marked the start of her senior year as a varsity volleyball player.
“At the end of the day it's my daughter who’s the one that’s paying the price. Now she’s lying in bed crying her eyes out because she’s a kid, she’s a teenager, she doesn’t want this to be happening, ” said Greg Guminski.
The family says the school followed all safety guidelines and precautions.
Madison was not showing any symptoms of COVID-19.
“I called the lady back at the department of health and said I have questions this doesn’t make sense we’ve followed the guidelines, ” said Greg Guminski.
After following up with the department of health, her father raised concerns regarding the contact tracing process on social media and even sent them to Lee County School’s superintendent and Governor Ron Desantis.
“When they looked further into it because they wanted a definite seating chart they saw I was nowhere near the kid, ” said Madison Guminski.
Lee County Schools say they work directly with the department of health to ensure the safety of all students.
In this case, the school provided a list of students possibly exposed before seating charts were thoroughly investigated.
“It’s frustrating because that’s what they should have started with, looking at the seating chart and cameras, it shouldn’t have been based off of memory I mean no one has a perfect memory, ” said Madison Guminski.
Madison will be allowed to return back to school and volleyball practice starting Monday.
The Department of Health responded regarding this situation.
"When an individual is determined to be COVID positive, FDOH Lee immediately does a preliminary assessment of individuals thought to be an exposure to a case in collaboration with the school district in an effort to quickly eliminate them from the school and reduce the risk of further exposures to others. The contact tracing involves interviewing the case as well as those reported to have contact with the case. During the course of these interviews, new information becomes available that can change whether or not someone is deemed a contact. ," said Tammy Yzaguirre.
