Last Updated on September 11, 2020, 9:40 AM AST by Anthony Morris
A 28-year-old elementary school teacher died this week in Columbia, South Carolina, because of complications due to COVID-19.
Demetria “Demi” Bannister, died on Monday and she used to teach third grade at Windsor elementary school.
A spokeswoman for Richland county school, Libby Roof, said in a statement that the administrators share this information with heavy hearts and with the permission from Ms Bannister’s parents.
The last time when Bannister went to Windsor Elementary was on 28 August. This date marked the last workday before school started.
Bannister started the school year teaching the students virtually, from home.
School district officials have said that they found out on 4 September that Bannister tested positive forCOVID-19. They subsequently conducted notification and contact tracing. It is still unclear where Bannister had contracted COVID-19.
Roof said that the school district is all virtual, so there was no close contact with students.
After contact tracing, three employees were put in quarantine. Roof said that she did not have information regarding their health conditions as it is private medical information.
Bannister organized a club for aspiring singers and was a leader of the student choir, in addition to her teaching duties. Comments on a memorial web page said that Bannister was kind and happy.
A commenter said that Ms Bannister was his teacher, and she was his favourite teacher. He wishes that he was still at elementary school to say his goodbyes. His heart goes out to the family.
Bannister’s death comes as the nation’s parents and educators continue to struggle with safety concerns over school reopenings.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
