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More High School Covid-19 Cases Linked to ‘Social Gathering’

Sun, 11/01/2020 - 07:00
East Hampton High School during the summer of 2020.
Durell Godfrey

Late in the morning on Halloween, East Hampton High School’s principal put out a call for students and families to “please be safe” after two more cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in students within the past 24 hours, bringing the school’s total to four cases.

“In making plans for today and other holidays, please take into consideration the impact your decision has on the greater school community,” James Crenshaw, the principal, said in an email to the community. “Covid infection rates have increased across the country and in Suffolk County. For everyone to stay in school, it might require re-thinking going to a social event, leaving the state or country, or taking the necessary precautions if you are in a situation that requires travel.”

Classes will be remote-only through Wednesday because of the confirmed cases, which included one on Thursday, one on Friday, and two on Saturday. 

Mr. Crenshaw said that “all of the cases are connected to a social gathering that occurred in the community.” An investigation by the County Health Department is underway. Students who were at the gathering or otherwise potentially exposed to the virus will need to quarantine and will be contacted by the school nurses.

“There has been no evidence at this time to suggest that there was any community spread within the school itself,” Mr. Crenshaw said. “This is in large part because of the efforts of teachers, nurses, students, and parents working together to make sure we are as safe as possible in school. We will need that level of cooperation in school and beyond for us to be able to get back to maintain our current reopening and eventually get closer to normal.”

The East Hampton School District has had eight cases of Covid-19 this fall, four of which were at the John M. Marshall Elementary School.

 


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