Multiple Coronavirus Cases Result In 3 School Closures In 1 Week

DEER PARK, NY — Multiple coronavirus cases and school closures were reported in the Deer Park School District in the past week.

First last Monday, JFK Intermediate School was closed after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. In a letter to the community, school district officials stated that the school was being thoroughly during the closure. However after a second staff member tested positive for the virus last minute, the school was closed once again last Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, a student at Robert Frost Middle School tested positive resulting in students being dismissed early to begin the contact tracing process. The school reopened Thursday.

Finally, May Moore Elementary School closed down on Friday after a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus. The school reopened Monday.

On Sunday, two more staff members tested positive — one at JFK Intermediate School and one at May Moore Elementary — according to a letter from Superintendent James Cummings. The schools opened as scheduled on Monday since district officials were alerted early enough to being contact tracing efforts, Cummings stated.

In all cases, school officials stated they worked with health department officials in contact tracing efforts. Health officials are responsible for contact those thought to be in close contact with those who tested positive for the virus.

According to the New York State COVID-19 report card, there are a total of 11 reported coronaviruscases within the district as of Friday. The cases include two students at Deer Park High School, one student and one staff member at JFK Intermediate School, one student and one staff member at John Quincy Adams Primary School, two staff members at May Moore Elementary School and two students and one staff member at Robert Frost Middle School.