BEAUMONT, Texas — Beaumont Independent School District confirms a football player and staff member at West Brook High School has tested positive for the coronavirus.
In wake of the new cases on the Beaumont ISD campus, the district has decided to suspend all West Brook voluntary summer workouts until July 6.
Beaumont ISD received notice that a staff member assigned to facilitate West Brook High School summer workouts tested positive for COVID-19 after an athlete reported a positive test last night around 7:30 pm to head coach Eric Peevey.
According to a BISD release, the employee and student last participated on Monday, June 22, and all students that attended summer workouts at West Brook have received individual notices of potential exposure.
The staff member’s participation was limited to health screening and record keeping. However, because there was the potential for exposure to all participants, West Brook summer workouts will be suspended until July 9, in an abundance of caution.
The district reassures the “facilities utilized by the West Brook football team were not used for any other summer training program and there is no risk of exposure to students outside the West Brook football program.”
Coach Peevey spoke with Sports Director Ashly Elam Thursday afternoon.
"I've talked to athletic directors across Southeast Texas daily," Peevey said. "I mean, we're a close brotherhood, and we're constantly calling each other going 'hey man, what are you doing about this; what are you doing about this?' And I know that the stress level for our coaches and our athletic directors have been really high just to make sure we're doing all this correctly. But at the same time, kids are going to be kids when they go home and on the weekends. And families are taking vacations again, and people are eating at restaurants again, and people are going around. Even though you're taking all the procedures you need to at the school, sometimes they may go home and get it."
Peevey added he believes it will take all of us for there to be a football season.
"It's going to take such a collective effort," Peevey said. "I know that if we're going to take the steps that we need at the school, which I know with our administration we're going to do that. We're going to take all the steps we need at the school at the field house to put all the kids in the best possible safe situation. Then, at the same point, we'll have to do this at home. I'm wearing a mask. I hate it; it smushes my nose. I'm a hot person. I'm sweating when I do it, but when I got in a store, I'm going to put it on. When I go to a restaurant, I'm going to put it on. Just little things like that we need to get back to, to say 'hey this is going to help us get back to what we call normal.' Because if not, our new normal is not going to be something we really want."
