ICYMI: 'Superspreader' Parties Prompt Manhasset's Remote Learning

MANHASSET, NY — Thirty-eight Manhasset Secondary School students have tested positive for COVID-19 after a series of superspreader parties, prompting school officials to pivot to remote learning, Superintendent Vincent Butera said.

The Nassau County Department of Health notified district officials of the parties on Tuesday, informing them that they resulted in "an alarming increase" of positive COVID-19 cases "throughout the community," Butera wrote in a letter to the community that was posted on the district's website.

All the students are in isolation and their close contacts have been quarantined by the health department, but in the meantime, the department of health has recommended the entire school go on a remote schedule from Feb. 22 through at least Feb. 26, and district officials also suspended extracurricular activities, Butera said.

District officials will continue to monitor the positive cases to determine if the elementary schools have been affected, he said.

A total of 63 positive COVID-19 cases were recorded at Manhasset Secondary School as of Feb. 11, according to New York State's COVID-19 Report Card. Of that number, there were 53 students and 10 staff members. The report card listed 45 cases, including 32 students and 13 staff members, at Munsey Park Elementary School, and 29 cases, including 13 students and 16 staff members at Shelter Rock Elementary School.

Sixteen cases, including 14 students and two staff members, were also reported at Manhasset Middle School West.

There were 502 cases reported in Manhasset and 214 cases in Manhasset Hills as of Feb. 14, according to Nassau County's COVID-19 tracking map.

Many of the students who tested positive at Manhasset Secondary School have been asymptomatic, "causing a false sense of security," Butera said. He encouraged the parent of any child that attended one of the superspreader events over the past 10 days to contact a health care provider about testing and quarantine immediately.

Butera said the community's "disconcerting actions" continue to put the "entire school community at risk and cause a heightened sense of fear and anxiety."

"As we have communicated in the past, events like these impact the entire community resulting in potentially serious illness for students, their families, and our faculty and staff," Butera said, adding that in addition to the school closure, the actions "necessitate that we pause discussions regarding returning more students to full-time learning until we can assess the exponential impact of these actions."

Butera asked that parents follow "established protocols" and to limit the contacts that they and their children have outside the household.

He advised the parents of children who receive positive test results for COVID-19 during the winter school recess to contact Nassau's Department of Health at 516-227-9570 and email Allison Rushforth at allison_rushforth@manhassetschools.org.

Testing will be available at the secondary school's gymnasium on Sunday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Preregistration is required.