Haverhill parents warned as Nettle School students test positive for COVID-19

Mike LaBella, The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass.
·2 min read

May 13—HAVERHILL — Parents of Nettle Middle School students are being asked to monitor their children for sickness after two Nettle students tested positive for COVID-19 this week.

School officials said parents were told Wednesday that Nettle is following safety protocols and anyone who had close contact with the sick students has been identified and told about the situation. Parents have also been asked to contact the school if their child displays any symptoms of illness, officials said.

In-person learning continues at Nettle, officials said. To prevent transmission of the virus to other students and staff, the school was sanitized, with a focus on areas frequented by the students who tested positive, officials said.

Principal Shereen Escovitz sent an email to Nettle families saying that the two affected students were in school this week within 48 hours of testing positive for COVID-19. She said that according to the state Department of Public Health, a person with a positive test is considered contagious for the 48-hour period before the test was administered.

"We are grateful to our families for their continued efforts to keep students home at the first sign of symptoms and to our staff for their ongoing self-monitoring of their health," Escovitz said in the email. "These measures, taken in combination, greatly reduce the risk of additional transmission.

"Though we cannot provide specific information about our school community members who tested positive, your child was not a close contact (defined as being within 6 feet of the person for at least 15 minutes) of the affected school members," the email continued. "Please continue to monitor your child for symptoms, and keep your child home if he/she/they shows any symptoms or is not feeling well."

Escovitz said she will notify parents immediately if there is transmission of the virus as a result of this case or a separate case.

Parents who have questions or concerns are asked to contact Director of Nursing Services Katie Vozeolas at kvozeolas@haverhill-ps.org or 978-478-8579.