COVID Positive At New Rochelle School On 2nd Day Of Class

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Parents were informed on Tuesday that someone at the New Rochelle school has tested positive for COVID-19.

Back to school hasn't been easy for students at Isaac E. Young Middle School. First, flood damage delayed the start of classes and now, a COVID-19 case at the school may further hamper studies. In a letter to families dated Sept. 14, Superintendent Jonathan Raymond confirmed that a staff member or student at the school has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

School officials would not say if the infected person was a student or member of staff. They confirmed that the "individual was at the school while possibly infectious," but cited confidentiality laws in refusing to further identify the infected person.

If either an Isaac E. Young Middle School student or school district employee is identified as a close contact of the person who tested positive, they will receive a call from a Westchester County Department of Health contact tracer, school officials said.

"Persons that will be contacted will see 'NYS Contact Tracing' or a '518' area code appear on the caller ID of their phone," Raymond wrote. "If you should see one of these identifiers on your caller ID, you are strongly urged to answer the call immediately and cooperate with the contact tracer. Your cooperation and prompt response will help protect us all."

Raymond added if families do not receive notification within the next 36 hours, "your child may not be at risk of COVID-19 exposure from this incident while at Isaac E. Young Middle School."

Raymond said the school remains open for teaching and learning.

Besides following all Westchester County Department of Health protocols for contact tracing and self-quarantine, Raymond wrote that Isaac E. Young Middle School will be disinfected and sanitized following New York State Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.