East Greenwich School Closes Due To Coronavirus Case Cluster

EAST GREENWICH, RI — Nine students in the same classroom at Meadowbrook Farms Elementary School in East Greenwich have tested positive for COVID-19, said Superintendent Alexis Meyer in an announcement Wednesday.

The positive cases were a result of the district's ongoing asymptomatic BinaxNOW testing initiative, said Meyer. Early contract tracing reveals that at least thirty-six additional students on seven different buses and siblings in 10 additional classrooms are impacted by the results.

"While perhaps surprising, this is precisely why mitigation strategies such as asymptomatic testing are crucial in our ongoing work to diligently protect our school community," said Meyer.

As of Wednesday, the district has tested an additional 50 students and 23 staff members, all receiving negative results.

Due to the COVID-19 case cluster, Meadowbrook Farms switched to remote learning Thursday and will not hold any in-person classes until after February vacation, said Meyer.

All close contacts of the nine students who tested positive have been contacted and are encouraged to get a COVID-19 test on day 5 of quarantine or later.