A 28-year-old teacher from South Carolina died three days after she was diagnosed with COVID-19. Demetria Bannister learned she was sick on Friday (September 4) and died on Monday.
Bannister taught at Windsor Elementary School in Columbia for five years and was the director of the school's choir.
"Known as Windsor's Songbird, Ms. Bannister used her musical talents to bring a great deal of joy to our school," the school's principal, Denise Quickel, said.
Officials said that Bannister was last in the school building on August 28 as educators prepared to begin online classes on August 31. Officials said that the building has been deep cleaned, and contact tracers are working to identify anybody that Bannister was in contact with before her diagnosis.
"I want to express my sincere condolences to Ms. Bannister's parents, relatives, friends, and school family," Richland Two Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis said. "While gone from us too soon, Ms. Bannister's legacy lives on through the lives of the students she taught in her five years as a dedicated educator. To honor Ms. Bannister's memory, I ask the Richland Two family to join me in reaffirming our commitment to doing all we can to provide premier learning experiences for all students in the safest environment possible and doing our part to slow the spread of COVID-19."
Photo: Leevy's Funeral Home