MIDWEST CITY (KFOR) – A pair of teenage sisters in Midwest City are staying indoors after one of them recently returned from Italy.
Sixteen-year-old Alexx Barksdale just returned from a volunteer trip, coming home to her parents and her sister, who is a freshman at Midwest City High School.
“I wanted to wait it out as much as I could,” Alexx Barksdale said.
Alexx Barksdale’s parents disagreed and decided to pull the plug.
“I was like, ‘No, it’s happening,’” Alexx’s mother Jonna Herbert said.
They booked her an emergency flight home to Will Rogers World Airport.
The 16-year-old was in Italy for the last 8 months as a part of the West OKC Rotary Club Exchange Program.
Alexx hopped off the plane Tuesday, just hours after the country went into total lockdown amid the coronavirus crisis.
Now, she’s just a few days into her 14-day quarantine alongside her sister.
“It still feels like I am forcefully having to quarantine,” Barksdale said.
The metro family says they’re in constant communication with Mid-Del Schools and state health officials.
Everyone decided it’s best for both girls to stay put.
“I called earlier this week and said she is coming home, so they gave me a sheet,” Jonna Herbert said.
The sheet of paper requires Alexx’s temperature twice a day and to note if she has any symptoms.
“The quarantine is for if she does develop the disease then she is not spreading it to anyone,” Anthony Lee from the Oklahoma State Health Department said.
However, so far, she’s in the clear, not showing any symptoms, and her family isn’t either.
“I mean, yeah, it’s on their own honor,” Lee said.
Thursday, Mid-Del Schools followed suit. The superintendent announced school is canceled Friday, March 13 out of caution for a variety of reasons.
“This will give cleaning crews time and maintenance crews time to clean before Spring Break begins next week,” Mid-Del Superintendent Rick Cobb said.
However, they still refuse to comment on Alexx and her sister’s specific situation.
“It’s more or less for everyone else to feel comfortable,” Jonna Herbert said.
“I just don’t want anyone to fear me,” Barksdale said.
State Health officials believe Alexx is at low risk since she came from a region of Italy that so far didn’t have any cases.
The teenager wouldn’t be tested for the virus unless she was showing symptoms.
Alexx tells News 4 so far she feels fine and will keep us updated.
