Warren Local Schools Superintendent Kyle Newton confirmed this afternoon that three positive tests for coronavirus have been reported at the district’s middle school.

The first case was reported confirmed Saturday, the second was mid-morning today and the third, he said, was this afternoon.

Following the Ohio Department of Health Order, effective Tuesday, school districts were required to create and implement notification procedures for the school buildings and district as a whole when a confirmed case is reported.

“We’re not hiding any information,” said Newton, explaining that the details of guidelines and template outlines were provided to local school districts over the weekend to begin adding procedures per the order.

“I have to make two different types of notifications, and parents also have to make a notification back to the school if their child has a confirmed case by testing or by definition from their doctor,” said Newton. “Once the health department notifies us, we have 24 hours to notify parents in two ways.”

But notification of the rest of a child’s, teacher’s or staff member’s school; the district; or the general public must come after contact tracing is complete.

“It’s like in a death notification where the name isn’t released until the family is notified,” Newton compared. “We have to get the contact tracing complete first.”

And as of Thursday afternoon, he said, that tracing was completed.

Next, was a letter sent via email out to the district.

That letter will be broken down in a full story in Friday’s edition of the Times.