Coronavirus Case Reported At Berkeley Township Elementary School

BERKELEY, NJ — An individual at Berkeley Township Elementary School tested positive for the coronavirus, officials announced Monday. Superintendent Dr. James D. Roselli didn't clarify whether a student or staff member at Berkeley Township Elementary School tested positive.

"There is nothing you need to do at this time," Roselli wrote in a letter to parents and guardians. "Due to privacy requirements, we will not be releasing any information regarding the identity of this individual. Any person who was determined by health officials to have been in close contact with this individual has already been personally notified."

All exposed areas have been cleaned and disinfected, Roselli said.

The Central Regional School District also reported a positive case last week within the school district. Both the Berkeley and Central Regional school districts began the school year on hybrid schedules. Read more: Central Regional Schools Report Positive Coronavirus Case

Some families with students in both districts have pushed for them to allow more in-person schooling. Officials from the districts said they're working on a Phase 2 of reopening, but it will require patience during the evolving pandemic.

"Several factors are being considered in order to expand our current model and work towards Phase II of our reopening goal," Roselli and Central Superintendent Dr. Triantafillos Parlapanides said in letters to parents and guardians. "One of the factors being taken into consideration is the significant rise in the transmission rate of COVID-19 in our community."

That means transmission rates within Ocean County and the community, Roselli said.

"Our goal continues to safely phase in full time instruction and both districts will continue work together along with input from the Ocean County Department of Health, our district based restart/pandemic teams, staff, community and our Boards of Education to create a reopening plan that is safe and properly coordinated to assist our families that have children in both Berkeley and Central Regional Schools," Roselli told Patch via email.

State officials have confirmed two coronavirus outbreaks linked to Ocean County schools this fall. But publicly available state data doesn't clarify in which schools they occurred.

"Outbreaks" indicate two or more laboratory-confirmed cases among students or staff within a 14-day period. They must be epidemiologically linked in the school setting, not share a household and not identify as close contacts of each other in another setting.

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