Update, Oct. 4: The Springs School clarified on Saturday afternoon that the school's Covid-19 case involves a student, not a staff member, and that both the teacher and the students of that grade will have to quarantine, though which grade was not specified.
Originally, Oct. 2: Another confirmed case of Covid-19 in a student at the John M. Marshall Elementary School was reported late Friday afternoon by school officials, the third such case to come to light in the last nine days. The Springs School also saw a student or staff member test positive for Covid-19, according to an announcement Friday from the school district.
The John Marshall student attends the morning prekindergarten class. "At this time, per our own investigation and preliminary Department of Health investigation, all students and staff need to quarantine in the pre-K [morning] session until further notice," East Hampton School District officials said in a statement.
The district has canceled all prekindergarten classes on Monday, including the afternoon session, while the entire school is deep-cleaned. School will be in session for all other grades on Monday, according to the district's announcement. Officials pledged more information pending the outcome of the Health Department's investigation.
The other cases at John Marshall are in a first grader and a second grader. The Health Department investigated both cases. Classmates of the second grader and that class's head teacher were told to quarantine for 14 days.
In Springs, school officials did not distinguish whether it was a student or an employee who tested positive for Covid-19. That person, however, will not be allowed to return to the school "for at least 10 days and until cleared by the Department of Health," Debra Winter, the district superintendent, said in the announcement.
"We are following all necessary protocols to mitigate any exposure to other students or staff. As always, the health and safety of our students and staff is our foremost priority," she said.
Ms. Winter said late Friday that the case occurred in an 880-square-foot classroom in which there were 10 children and two adults. The students in that class must quarantine, she said.
"As far as the mitigation we have done, the school does not have to close," she said.