Update (5/21 8:30pm): According to the District 6 website Sams Valley Elementary School will be closed again Thursday, May 22nd.
The district website said more time was needed to completely sanitize the school.
Update (5/21 3:15pm): The Jackson County Public Health announced this afternoon that the staff member at Sams Valley Elementary died of complications from Group A strep bacteria (i.e., strep throat).
They also stressed that it is very uncommon to develop severe or life threatening illness from Group A strep bacteria.
Central Point, Ore. — According to Sams Valley Elementary school’s website, the school will be closed Wednesday.
The school’s website cites “precautionary measures” as the cause for the closure and gave little more information.
The district said in a later press release that it’s for cleaning, due to an unexplained illness. Buses did not pick up Sams Valley students on Wednesday and the school is expected to re-open on Thursday, (May 22).
NBC5 spoke with the Public Health Authority. They told us a young woman passed away from an infection; they cannot identify the woman or the illness at the time. Jackson County Public Health officers say, as far as they can tell, this is not a public health risk.
They also say at this time, several other people are sick with what look like other illnesses. Public Health stresses, to this point, they have found no relation.
Right now, health authorities are waiting on autopsy results and cultures.
The Central Point Superintendent is the person that ordered the school closure.
Stay with NBC5 News on-air and online as we gather more information on this developing story.
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