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The staffer notified Poughkeepsie High School on Sunday, March 22 of a positive diagnosis, said Irwin M. Goldberg, spokesperson for the Poughkeepsie School District.
Based on the facts received, the staff member was exposed to COVID-19 by someone outside of the high school community and sought testing after being notified of their potential exposure, Goldberg said.
The testing occurred after the staffer's last day at PHS on Thursday, March 19.
It is believed that the staff member’s presence at PHS on March 19, did not put the general public at risk, however, as a precaution, the 16 people believed to have had close contact with the staffer have been notified and advised to self-quarantine and contact their primary physician as a precautionary measure, he added.
"Given that schools were closed last week, we don’t have reason to believe that any students had direct contact with the affected person at the school while he/she was symptomatic," Goldberg said.
The staff member is quarantined per their doctor’s orders and the federal guidance related to testing positive for COVID-19.
Other district employees and parents of students at PHS have been notified of the situation.
In response to this news, the high school will undergo deep cleaning to ensure that it is thoroughly sanitized before the school reopens for instruction.
PCSD will continue to communicate with the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health and communicate any new developments, he added.
In addition, PHS families can pick up At-Home Learning materials on Tuesday, March 24, at PACE, 18 South Perry St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The learning materials are also available online at www.poughkeepsieschools.org.
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