CMS releases COVID symptom screener ahead of elementary school return

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Elementary students in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School district will start going back to school two days a week next Monday.

In advance of that, leaders released a symptoms screener survey that will have to be completed every day.

The survey is something required by the state -- all public schools need to be screening anyone who enters a school building.

Each morning, the CMS symptoms screener will come to the CMS student email address with a link to complete the survey or you can access a link on your school’s web page.

A paper version of the survey will also be available at the school. It will be available in several languages.

There are three questions:

• If you’ve had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19
• The second question will ask about symptoms
• If you have been diagnosed with COVID since last being in the school building

You will either get a green check and be allowed in or a red “X” with further instructions.

Starting next Monday, kindergarten through fifth grade students will go back to class for two days a week.

Nov. 23, middle school students will come back. On Jan. 5, high school students will return.

Parents told Channel 9′s education reporter Elsa Gillis that they’re nervous about the increased cases across the county and that’s reflected in the latest CMS readiness update. The dashboard includes two public health metrics -- case rate per 100,000 persons and test positivity percent. The first metric is in the red because of “substantial community spread.”

We learned Monday that within the school district, 8 students and 16 staff members tested positive for COVID-19 last week. From October 9-23, there were 19 schools that have had at least one positive COVID case. There are currently no clusters within CMS.

CMS rolls out COVID-19 metrics dashboard to help monitor school safety

Cox Media Group