Timber Creek HS Closed Thursday Due To Positive Coronavirus Tests

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Timber Creek Regional High School will be closed on Thursday due to four positive cases of the coronavirus that have been identified in the last week, school officials announced Wednesday night.

Two of the positive tests may have been related to staff members, the Black Horse Pike Regional School District said in a statement on its website.

The Camden County Department of Health is conducting an investigation and is awaiting a determination by the state epidemiologist, according to the district. Since there has been no determination yet, the school will be closed out of an abundance of caution.

As of 11 a.m. Thursday morning, the district was still awaiting word on a determination, Black Horse Pike Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Repici told Patch. He was hoping to hear word on a determination soon.

The school district and the Department of Health have contacted anyone who has been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive, the district said. Anyone who has not yet received a call doesn't have to worry about exposure in these cases, the district said.

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Students in the Red cohort will participate in remote, synchronous instruction while at home. All other students will complete asynchronous lessons posted on the Google classroom. The school will follow a Wednesday bell schedule.

All extracurricular activities have been canceled for Thursday, and student lunches can be picked up at Highland Regional High School between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the B1 entrance off of Blackwood-Clementon Road.

"Cleaning and disinfecting of all exposed areas have been completed. The school is also taking precautions to prevent the introduction and spread of viruses and other germs and is cleaning frequently touched surfaces daily," Repici and Timber Creek Regional High School Principal Kelly McKenzie said in a joint statement.

The district said it anticipates hearing a final determination from the Department of Health on Thursday and hopes to provide an update at that time. The closure may be extended, depending on that final determination, officials said.

Symptoms of the coronavirus can include, but are not limited to, fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Not everyone will get all these symptoms, the district reminded the school community. Anyone who believes they or their child may have the coronavirus should contact a physician for direction.

District officials encourage students and staff to follow the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as follows:

• Staying home when you feel sick
• Washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Covering coughs and sneezes and properly disposing of tissues; then wash your hands
• Limiting close contact with people and not sharing food, drinks, and utensils
• Practicing social distancing (staying at least 6 feet apart)
• Wearing face covering while in school; and
• Continuing to monitor your health for symptoms.

"As always, we appreciate our community’s support and cooperation," officials said. "You can assist us by remaining vigilant and sensible in your approach to dealing with this health concern. Should you have any questions about this situation, please feel free to contact me or our school nurse, Mrs. Monica Coslove at 856- 232-9703."

Earlier this week, the school district said it was exploring multiple options for changing the schedule, including an increase in the amount of live in-person and live-streaming of class instruction. Repici said on Thursday the district would be moving ahead with these plans, and would announce them to the community soon.

On Monday, it said there had been 10 confirmed positive coronavirus cases among students and staff since the district reopened on Sept. 3. Read more here: Black Horse Pike Considers Changes To Return To School Plan

The district, which consists of Timber Creek, Highland and Triton regional high schools, reopened with a mix of in-person and remote-learning amid the coronavirus pandemic. Since the start of the school year, about 549 additional students transferred from hybrid learning to the 100 percent remote model. There are now 1,520 students (44 percent of the district's population) learning remotely. Read more here: Black Horse Pike Reopening Plan Includes Mostly Remote Learning

See more stories about New Jersey's coronavirus recovery.