Timber Creek HS In Gloucester Twp. Given OK To Reopen

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Timber Creek Regional High School has been cleared to reopen on Friday after being closed for one day due to four confirmed cases of the coronavirus, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Repici said on Thursday.

“We heard back from the Regional State Epidemiologist, and Timber Creek is cleared to return to school tomorrow,” Repici told Patch in an email Thursday afternoon. “They found no issues or concerns with opening safely tomorrow.”

The school was closed on Thursday out of an abundance of caution after two students and two staff members tested positive for the coronavirus, according to officials. Read more here: Timber Creek HS Closed Thursday Due To Positive Coronavirus Tests

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The Black Horse Pike Regional School District had opted to close the school while the Camden County Department of Health conducted an investigation and the state epidemiologist determined if it was safe to reopen. When they hadn’t heard back by Thursday night, they decided to close out of an abundance of caution.

Repici told Patch the school would be reopening just after 2:30 Thursday afternoon. The school district and the Department of Health 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.

"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.

Extracurricular activities, including athletics, were also canceled on Thursday.

The temporary closure came as a new study found that New Jersey is among the safest states when it comes to reopening schools. Read more here: NJ Among Safest States For Schools To Reopen, Study Finds

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.