High School In East Brunswick Goes Virtual After COVID Spike

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — The Middlesex County Vocation and Technical High School, East Brunswick campus has switched to remoted learning until 2022 due to a spike in COVID-19 cases. The transition to virtual learning began Thursday, Dec. 9.

It’s not immediately clear how many students have tested positive.

“Due to an increase in the number of positive COVID-19 case and the number of close contacts, the East Brunswick Campus of the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools has decided to close school and transition to fully remote instruction beginning on Thursday, December 9, 2021,” Principal Michael J. Cappiello said in a message to the school community.

“We will resume in-person learning and instruction on Monday, January 3, 2022.”

Over the past few days, school and district officials were working with the Middlesex County Office of Health Services to report individual positive COVID-19 cases, and close contacts via contact tracing. The decision to move to virtual learning came after consultation with County health officials and district administrators, Cappiello said.

“This decision, while not an easy one, is necessary at this point to promote the safety and well-being of our staff and students,” he said.

In New Jersey, many schools are experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases, the highest level since the beginning of the school year, after many residents gathered for Thanksgiving. Read More Here: NJ Schools See Post-Thanksgiving 'Spike' In COVID-19 Cases

"It is quite obvious we are seeing a post-Thanksgiving spike," said Gov. Phil Murphy at Wednesday's news conference about recent COVID cases since the holiday. "There is no other way to look at these numbers."

The spike is also noticeable in local school districts as there is a sharp increase in student and staff cases since Nov. 3, according to the state's school dashboard.

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news.