Schools forced to make changes on the fly as students test positive for COVID-19

Schools across New Jersey are being forced to make last-minute changes as more students test positive for COVID-19.

News 12 Staff

Oct 2, 2020, 2:42 AM

Updated 1,546 days ago

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Schools across New Jersey are being forced to make last-minute changes as more students test positive for COVID-19.
A student at Red Bank Regional High School recently tested positive for the virus, according to the school superintendent. That student, who was not identified, had attended a family gathering. The student is now under quarantine and contact tracing has started.
Students who had been in close contact with the infected student are being excluded from in-person school program and extra-curricular activities until Oct. 12.
Also at the school, eight students taking part in a basketball game in Wall Township encountered someone else who tested positive for the virus. They are also under quarantine.
In-person classes started back up for the rest of the student body on Thursday.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Wednesday that there are 11 outbreaks of COVID-19 in school districts around the state. All are connected in in-school transmission. It should be noted that an outbreak consists of two or more lab-confirmed cases among staff or students.
"If there are two or more cases within a two-week period linked together by a school activity, local health officials would make recommendations whether to close the school based on their investigation,” Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said.
In-person transmission is what officials in Ramsey say that they are worried about after a staff member at the high school tested positive for the coronavirus. Students in the school will be on an all-remote learning schedule until Oct. 13
The state also unveiled a new feature one the COVID-19 website – a school dashboard that breaks down outbreaks by counties. It will allow parents a chance to follow in-school transmissions.
State officials say that there are now 81 school districts in the state with in-person learning, 402 on a hybrid schedule, 278 all-remote and 40 using a combination or hybrid and remote.