18 Amesbury students test positive for COVID-19

Jim Sullivan, The Daily News of Newburyport, Mass.
·2 min read

Nov. 22—AMESBURY — A Nov. 15 Amesbury Jets football banquet appears to be the source of a COVID-19 outbreak which has led to at least 18 cases.

According to a press release from city communications director Caitlin Thayer, 16 of the 18 cases have been traced directly to a Nov. 15 Amesbury Jets youth football end-of-season banquet at the Newburyport Elks Lodge on Low Street as of Monday, Nov. 22. Two in-school transmission cases have also been identified.

According to the city, contact tracing identified about 250 people who were exposed to the virus at the Nov. 15 event, including many students in grades 2-8.

The school district has been in touch with each of the families that attended the banquet and has provided them with take-home COVID-19 tests for students, cheerleaders, players and siblings.

Families that were unable to pick up take-home tests have been able to take advantage of over 75 on-site tests Monday at Amesbury Middle School, Cashman Elementary School and Amesbury Elementary School.

Each student who tested negative on Monday returned to class. Those who may have tested positive were sent home.

On-site testing was also provided for any students who may have been identified as close contacts and will continue throughout the rest of the school week, which ends on Wednesday because of Thanksgiving.

Anyone identified as a close contact from the Nov. 15 event has been told to test daily or quarantine for seven days after Sunday, Nov. 21.

Each student will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test result before returning to school. Any student who tests positive must quarantine for 10 days, and can only return to school after testing negative.

Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.