West Babylon Jr. High School Staffer Tests Positive For COVID-19

WEST BABYLON, NY — Less than a week after reopening, a West Babylon Jr. High School employee tested positive for COVID-19, Superintendent of Schools Yiendhy Farrelly announced on Monday.

In a letter to the community, Farrelly stated that the employee who tested positive will not be allowed to return to school for at least 10 days of being symptom free, or after a negative test result has been provided to the district. While the district did not specify the employee's role at the school, the letter stated that they were "assigned" to the local middle school.

The school has officially reopened after nearly six months of closure last Tuesday.

Farrelly stated that the school thoroughly cleaned and disinfected the space used by the staff member in accordance to guidance issued by the New York State Education Department and Suffolk County Department of Health.

"We are in contact with the Suffolk County Department of Health and will follow all necessary protocols to mitigate any exposure to anyone who may have been in contact with this staff member. People deemed to have been in close contact with the staffer will be notified directly by the Department of Health and will have to begin a mandatory, two week quarantine," the letter reads. "Anyone not contacted can assume their child was not determined to be in close contact with the staffer, meaning they were not within 6 feet of the person for at least 15 minutes starting from two days before the onset of the illness (or, for asymptomatic patients, two days prior to positive test)."

Any employee or student is exhibiting any symptoms such as fever, coughing, shortness of breath, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea are advised to contact a medical provider.