Today the district learned about four new COVID-19 cases.
- Two presumed positive cases. One case at Westmere Elementary and one at Guilderland Elementary. Individuals who need to quarantine were contacted. Both cases require staff to quarantine, and because of this, Westmere is transitioning one classroom of students to remote-only learning, and Guilderland Elementary is moving all GES Kindergarten students to remote-only instruction through Dec. 22.
- One confirmed case at Farnsworth Middle School. Per the Albany County Department of Health guidelines, contact tracing for individuals of the school community is not necessary.
- One confirmed case of a district-wide employee. The district is working under the Department of Health guidelines to determine who needs to quarantine and is reaching out to inform those individuals.
It is particularly painful to have to share news of new positive cases so close to our holiday break, especially when everyone at school is working so hard to keep our children safe while they are with us. We do not know of a single case of COVID-19 that was transmitted at school– which means our safety protocols in school are effective.
We know that it is challenging, particularly around the holidays, to practice the essential safety measures known to stop the spread of COVID-19. But we respectfully ask that you continue to follow all safety procedures, including wearing a mask, maintaining proper social distancing, and avoiding group gatherings with individuals outside of your household. It will make a positive difference for our schools and our community.