A New Jersey school district is scrambling to contain a COVID outbreak just two weeks into the school year — but schools and classrooms are staying open, so far.
The West Milford Schools Superintendent has now sent a series of letters to parents informing them of 36 people who have tested positive — most of them high school students. The school superintendent added that many of the cases may be linked to a football game.
“Our contact tracing revealed connections between students at out-of/school events, including the home varsity football game on Sept. 10,” the district said to parents in the week following the game, which left participants in the game as well as those in the stands sick. The school also said that “this matter is overwhelmingly concentrated in individuals not fully vaccinated.”
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The district has so far left classrooms open and allowed other activities to continue as planned, with the exception of those who were infected having to sit out.
West Milford Parents picking up students on Tuesday were mostly supportive of the district’s decision to keep classrooms and extra-curricular activities open and in-person, despite the growing number of cases.
“My son actually came home on Thursday last week and he wasn’t allowed to come back until he proved he has a negative test. Which we did. We followed the rules and we did it.,” said Marylou Perch, a mother of a student.
The superintendent did not respond to an email requesting an updated count of COVID cases, and declined to do an interview.
The West Milford COVID cluster came to light just days after New York City decided to temporarily close an East Harlem school after more than a dozen staff members tested positive.
