Rumson-Fair Haven HS Goes Virtual Amid 8 COVID-19 Cases

RUMSON, NJ - Students at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School switched to an all-remote learning schedule on Monday, Nov. 23, effective until Dec. 7 at the very least, a result of a reported eight new COVID-19 cases in the school district.

In a Nov. 22 message to district families, Superintendent Debra Gulick announced that the high school is considered “High Risk” for COVID-19 transmission, according to information released by the New Jersey Department of Health. Following the most recent news of three positive cases on Thursday, Nov. 19, the decision was made to suspend in-person instruction and extracurricular activities.

Close contacts of the eight total individuals who tested positive have been identified, with 56 members of the school community are quarantining.

Gulick also noted that the Rumson and Fair Haven communities have seen 72 new COVID cases in the first 20 days of November after averaging less than 20 cases per month since April.

The school district recommends families to continue following recommended safeguards, such as:

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

“This is a difficult letter to send to our community. The faculty, staff, parents, students, Board of Education and community members of Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School came together during the past ten weeks to provide rigorous and engaging in-person instruction and services, as well as extracurricular activities, in a way that protected the health and safety of our students and staff,” Gulick wrote.

“We are proud of what we have accomplished, and what our students have accomplished. However, the rising rate of infection in our area has impacted our school,” the administrator added.

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