Lakewood Class Now Remote After Student's Positive COVID-19 Test

LAKEWOOD, NJ — A small classroom of students with special needs has been moved to remote instruction and several staff members are working from home after unrelated positive coronavirus test results, the Lakewood School District announced.

Michael Inzelbuch, the school district's attorney who also acts as its spokesman, said a student who is new to the district tested positive for the virus, but was only in close contact with two other students within a self-contained setting.

"As a precautionary measure the entire class/cohort and staff was immediately put on remote" instruction, he said.

Two other staff members tested positive, he said. One was a staff member who was at an event outside of school and had no contact with students. That employee is working from home for two weeks. The second who tested positive is a secretary in an off-site building, Inzelbuch said, and is believed to have been infected by a family member. That secretary and her co-workers have been placed on remote work "purely as a precaution," he said.

Another staff member is working from home after that staff member's spouse tested positive for the coronavirus, Inzelbuch said.

Inzelbuch said school district officials have been in contact with the Ocean County Health Department on the issue and to get advice on how best to notify the town and the school community, and sent out emails and robocalls.

Lakewood Public Schools opened with full-day in-person instruction on Sept. 3.

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our app. Download here. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Lakewood Patch on Facebook.