COVID Absences Drop, Watchung Hills High School Returns To Regular Full-Days, Full Lunches

WARREN, NJ — As COVID-related absences have dropped, Watchung Hills Regional High School is able to return to regular full-day in-person instruction with full lunches once again.

Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Jewett shared the happy news with the community on Thursday.

"We are pleased to share that our number of staff and student absences for COVID-related reasons has decreased to our much lower, pre-Thanksgiving levels. As a result, we will be returning to our regular full-day instructional schedule with a full lunch period on Monday, Jan. 24," said Jewett.

The return comes after the district switched to half days at the beginning of the month then a full-day but modified schedule due to a COVID surge over the past several weeks.

The modified schedule had included reducing lunch periods to a 15-minute snack period for students.

As of Thursday, Jan. 20, Warren Township reported 13 new cases and a total of 119 since Jan. 14. This is a reduction of 86 cases since the previous week of 205 cases.

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