11 People At 3 Manchester Schools Positive For Coronavirus

MANCHESTER, NJ — The Manchester Township School District has had 11 students and staff who have reported positive tests for the coronavirus in the last week, the district announced.

Superintendent David Trethaway, in a letter posted on the district's website, said there were six people, including four staff members, who reported to the district on Dec. 3 that they had tested positive for the virus. Five more positive tests were reported Monday, he said.

Included were four middle school staff members, four high school students, a member of the central office staff, a Regional Day School student and a staff member who was identified as being at the middle school, but it's unclear why that staff member was listed separately.

"These cases reflect the growing number of cases throughout the county and there is every indication that each case has an origin outside of the school," Trethaway said. "However, regardless of the origin of each case, it is imperative that we do not allow any spread in the school which is why it is so critical for our staff and our students to continue to maintain the social distancing, mask wearing and hand washing."

He said school nurses identified those who were close contacts of each person who was positive and determined what those contacts needed to do.

"I want to continue to stress to our staff, students and families the importance of continuing to follow the health and safety guidelines, particularly at this time as the number of positive cases continue to increase throughout the county and Manchester," Trethaway said. "We are experiencing a difficult time throughout the county and our town so it is important that we do not become complacent. We realize the importance of students being in school with staff and other students and it is our goal to keep the schools open for in-person instruction as long as it is safe, but that is dependent on the actions of each of us."

The district shifted to remote instruction for the three days leading into Thanksgiving, and Ridgeway Elementary School remained on remote instruction for the week after Thanksgiving because of cases at that school that appeared to have a connection in the school.

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