On Wednesday, Nov. 4, the Port Jervis School District announced that a staff member at Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School reported a positive COVID-19 test in the wake of a second employee testing positive.
There was also a positive COVID-19 case reported in Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary School in Port Jervis earlier this week.
Port Jervis Schools Superintendent Mike Rydell said that due to the positive cases, the number of students and staff members forced to enter a temporary quarantine due to potential exposure forced the schools into distance learning.
“Due to the high number of faculty and staff who have been mandated to quarantine at both Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School and Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary School, we have made a determination to pivot our schools to remote learning (Phase I of our Instructional Plan) through Friday, Nov. 6,” he wrote to parents.
“The data, updates on testing and consultation with the Department of Health will determine if this phase of remote learning will continue beyond Friday.”
The Goshen School District also confirmed that two members of the district tested positive for the virus, forcing Scotchtown Avenue Elementary School and C.J. Hooker Middle School to transition to remote learning until at least Monday, Nov. 9.
In Saugerties, Schools Superintendent Kirk Reinhardt said that a new COVID-19 case in Cahill Elementary School led to 54 students and 10 staff members to enter quarantine due to possible exposure for at least the next 14 days.
The school will now be closed through the end of the week.
“As a reminder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that COVID-19 spreads mainly from having close contact with someone who has a COVID-19 infection,” Reinhardt said. “This virus can be spread by people without symptoms.
"This is why wearing a mask, social distancing, and frequent hand washing (and) sanitizing is so important.”
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