Covid-19: New Staff Member At Westchester School Tests Positive, Five Classes Exposed

A Westchester middle school was forced to transition to remove learning after as many as five classes may have been exposed to the virus last week.

Zak Failla

11/02/2020 4:00 p.m.

Interim New Rochelle Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero announced that a staff member at Albert Leonard Middle School has tested positive for COVID-19 and was last in the building on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

Marrero said that through contact tracing, at least seven teachers and five “Cohort A” classes were potentially exposed, and have been instructed to quarantine. He noted that students in “Cohort B” will not require quarantine.

Since the pandemic began, there have now been 18 students that tested positive for the virus in New Rochelle schools, according to New York’s COVID-19 “Report Card.”

Cases have been confirmed in Albert Leonard, Columbus Elementary School, Daniel Webster Elementary School, George M. Davis Elementary School, Isaac E. Young Middle School, Jefferson Elementary School, and the New Rochelle High School.

“All students and staff who came in contact with the individual during their potentially infectious period (beginning 48 hours prior to the onset symptoms), will be notified by District staff about their exposure,” Marrero said. “They will need to remain in quarantine until further notice from the Westchester County or New York State Department of Health.”

Following the positive test, students switched to distance learning on Monday, Nov. 2 , and planned to reassess the situation at the end of the day before making a decision on other classes this week.

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