Update On COVID Case At Middletown Elementary School

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Update from the Middletown school district: Currently, there is one positive COVID-19 case at Nut Swamp Elementary related to a non-school event attended by multiple individuals from the school.

Individuals who are required to quarantine at this time have been notified.

There has been one COVID-positive case identified at Nut Swamp Elementary School, and out of an abundance of caution the school was shut down on Friday, Sept. 18, the Middletown school district announced.

"At this time, there is one positive COVID-19 case, and contact tracing is being carried out," said the school district in a statement on its website.

Middletown school superintendent Mary Ellen Walker did not answer when asked by Patch whether this was a student or a teacher who tested positive for COVID, or whether they came down with symptoms while at school.

But Middletown Board of Education president Pam Rogers did elaborate:

"The Health Department has advised Mrs. Walker to close Nut Swamp school due to one positive case," said Rogers. "This one individual has been in close contact with multiple people during and outside of school hours. The Health Department will now conduct proper contact tracing and testing and continue to advise the district accordingly."

All Nut Swamp students are learning virtually from home Friday.

However, at this time the district does plan to reopen Nut Swamp as normally scheduled Monday.

"We anticipate cleaning and disinfecting of the school will be completed by Monday," said the district. "At this time, it is our intention to resume in-person instruction on Monday with Cohort A as scheduled. The status of this situation is fluid, and we are monitoring it closely."

Middletown students are on a hybrid, half-virtual, half-in-school model.