Skip to main content

More Covid Cases at Local Schools

Fri, 11/06/2020 - 09:55
The John M. Marshall Elementary School has now had six cases of Covid-19 among students.
Durell Godfrey

Two entire classrooms of children at the John M. Marshall Elementary School are in quarantine through Nov. 19 after two cases of Covid-19 were confirmed among fifth-grade students this week. Additionally, two more cases have been diagnosed among East Hampton High School students, and one among the support staff at the Wainscott School.

The decision to quarantine the elementary classes was made by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, according to Karen Kuneth, the interim school principal. All those affected received calls from the school nurse on Thursday.

"During this time, students will participate in remote learning. Classroom teachers will reach out with details," Ms. Kuneth said in an email to families. "There will be a deep cleaning of the affected classrooms in the coming days."

She did not confirm the total number of students and teachers impacted.

With the two additional Covid-19 cases at East Hampton High School, there have now been eight there altogether. At least six were detected within the past eight days. School officials have said they resulted from an indoor social gathering held recently at a private residence. There have now been a total of 14 students in the East Hampton School District diagnosed with Covid-19, the most of any public school district between Southampton and Montauk.

The Wainscott School has had one case, in an employee who works on site. While the school shows two cases on the School Covid Report Card, a state database that is updated daily, David Eagan, the Wainscott School Board president, said by email on Friday that there is a discrepancy online.

In a letter sent Thursday to Wainscott families, Deborah Haab, the superintendent, said the school did not have to quarantine any students or other staff members.

"Since the employee has not been in our buildings since Oct. 29, the Suffolk County Department of Health has advised us that no further action is needed," Ms. Haab wrote. "The buildings were deep cleaned and thoroughly sanitized on the morning of Nov. 4, before the students and staff arrived. This was done as an extra precaution because the district was a polling
place for the Nov. 3 election."


This article has been updated since it was first published.


Your support for The East Hampton Star helps us deliver the news, arts, and community information you need. Whether you are an online subscriber, get the paper in the mail, delivered to your door in Manhattan, or are just passing through, every reader counts. We value you for being part of The Star family.

Your subscription to The Star does more than get you great arts, news, sports, and outdoors stories. It makes everything we do possible.