ST. HELENA PARISH - All St. Helena Parish public school students will be tested for COVID on Monday, Nov. 30, according to a news release issued by the St. Helena Parish School district earlier this month.

The decision to test all students was made after a St. Helena Parish school employee tested positive for the virus on Nov. 12.

The school system said after the employee's test results were revealed, the individual was placed in quarantine and students across the parish reverted to eLearning via Microsoft Teams until Nov. 30.

School officials say as students return to campus on Monday, Nov. 30 they will submit to COVID tests administered by Southeast Community Health Systems.

Officials added that all testing of students will take place only with parental consent.

St. Helena's decision to test all students comes as 1,641 new COVID cases were reported in Louisiana over the weekend.