5 Cherry Hill Teachers Test Positive For Coronavirus
CHERRY HILL, NJ — Five staff members at Kingston Elementary School have tested positive for the coronavirus, district officials announced. District officials received notice of the first positive test on Saturday, according to district officials. Other notifications followed, adding up to five total as of Wednesday.
The teachers have been teaching in the classroom while the students learn remotely, Superintendent of Schools Joseph Meloche said in a letter to parents. All staff at Kingston Elementary School, except custodians, will be working remotely through next week, and the classrooms at all the elementary schools will be cleaned daily. Schools are closed Nov. 5 and 6 for the NJEA Convention.
“Upon learning the news, we contacted the Camden County Health Department and have been working with them on next steps,” Meloche said. “We will support the health department in its handling of the process and the appropriate notifications. Health officials are interviewing/reaching out/providing assistance directly to individuals with an elevated risk of exposure who may have been in recent close contact with the staff member. All families directly impacted by this news will be contacted.”
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The district opened the year in a full-remote learning environment, and plan to return to its hybrid plan Nov. 9. Read more here: Cherry Hill Schools Plan For Return Of Hybrid Learning Nov. 9
As of Wednesday, there have been 1,624 cases of the coronavirus in Cherry Hill since the beginning of the pandemic in March, according to numbers provided by Camden County officials. There have been 157 Cherry Hill residents who have died after testing positive for the virus.
Countywide, there have been 12,314 and 575 confirmed deaths since March. Cases throughout Camden County have been on the rise recently.
“As our state sees a new trend of steady case growth, we need everyone to focus their attention on mitigating the spread of this disease,” Camden County Freeholder Jon Young said. “The Freeholder Board is continuing to work with our partners at the federal, state, and local levels to ensure that a holistic strategy is in place to respond to this worsening pandemic.”
Anyone who believes they may have been exposed to the coronavirus should contact their doctor if they develop symptoms, such as coughing or difficulty breathing.
“In addition, please take social distancing seriously: avoid crowds, stay at home, wear a mask — even if you are walking with a co-worker at lunchtime, wash your hands frequently, and maintain at least a six-foot distance from other people,” Meloche said. “Thank you for your continued support. By working together, we will get through these challenging times. As you know, the well-being of our students, staff and families is our number one priority. Please join me in sending healing thoughts to our staff members.”
This article originally appeared on the Cherry Hill Patch
