Schools

East Brunswick Teachers, Students Quarantine After COVID Contact

Ten teachers and 27 students have been quarantined. The district said the transmissions did not take place in the school buildings.

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — School Superintendent Victor Valeski on Tuesday announced that three COVID positive cases have "impacted" schools in East Brunswick. Some teachers and students are quarantined as a result.

In a letter to the school community, Valeski said transmissions did not take place in the school buildings themselves.

According to Valeski, one infected person had direct contact with teachers and students. As a result, 10 teachers and 27 students have been quarantined as “close contacts”.

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“This illustrates the far-reaching impact a singular positive COVID case can have on our schools and our ability to safely remain open,” Valeski said.

CDC defines “close contacts” as being less than 6 feet from a person testing positive for COVID-19 for 15 minutes or longer.

Find out what's happening in East Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Additionally, two cases were connected to local athletic teams. They in turn had “close contacts” at Central, Chittick, Lawrence Brook and Memorial Elementary Schools, as well as Hammarskjold Middle School, which includes the ELA, Before Care and After School Kids programs.

“All impacted staff and students have been notified and placed in quarantine. I cannot overemphasize the critical nature of immediate reporting of either positive COVID-19 test results or "close contact" situations outside of school” said Valeski.

“If your child or family has been in the presence of a known positive COVID-19 individual or family, keep your children home and call us immediately so we can guide you with next steps for your child’s reentry to school. If your child presents flu like symptoms please keep them and their siblings home until they have been evaluated and cleared by a physician,” he said.

This is the first instance of positive cases in the school district. Students from the district had reported “close contacts” on Sep. 9 and Sep. 14.

Read More Here: East Brunswick: Two Students Report 'Close Contacts' With COVID

Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

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