Wisconsin Teacher Is First To Die Of Coronavirus In Fall: Report

SUAMICO, WI — A Bay Port High School teacher is believed to be the state's first coronavirus-related death of an educator during the start of the fall school semester.

According to a JSOnline report, Heidi Hussli, 47, a German teacher at the school, was infected with the virus during the week of Sept. 8 and had to be hospitalized shortly thereafter at St. Mary's Hospital. She died Thursday. She had taught for 16 years at the school.

Hussli's family sent The Press Times a statement following her death: "Our family is grateful for the support of Heidi's friends and colleagues at school. We are devastated by her loss, and we respectfully request privacy as we grieve and reflect. We are deeply grateful to the staff at St. Mary's Hospital for their professionalism and care. Heidi is at peace now."

According to information posted on the Howard-Suamico School District's website, Bay Port has 31 students and eight staff members in quarantine, in addition to having eight students and one staff member confirmed to have COVID-19.

The district has 10 confirmed student cases of COVID-19 and two staff cases. According to district figures, 130 students are in quarantine across the district in addition to 30 staff members as of Friday.

District officials approved a plan this summer sending students back to school in person for fall. Students returned to school the week of Sept. 1 in a hybrid format. According to the district, high school students are attending school in person in two groups: Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday, with remote learning at home the other two days according to the same schedule.