Kentucky elementary suffers third COVID-19 death among staff

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A grief-stricken elementary school in eastern Kentucky suffered its third COVID-19 death among its staff since the school term began when a beloved counselor died from the coronavirus, the district’s superintendent said Tuesday.

Lee County Elementary counselor Rhonda Estes died Monday, Superintendent Sarah Wasson said. Estes was a fixture in the tight-knit community, working 35 years for the school system. A custodian and an instructional aide at the same school also died from the virus in recent weeks.

“It’s just really hard,” Wasson said in a phone interview. “We’re really grieving the loss.”

https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-kentucky-26e5262a3797f47acc1679f3f7622788