This article was updated on Saturday, Oct. 3.
Two more members of the Abington Public Schools community has tested positive for COVID-19, Superintendent Peter Schafer announced Friday afternoon.
One of the cases was connected to the person from the Beaver Brook Elementary School who tested positive last week. The other case is a member of the middle school. Both people are currently in a 14-day quarantine.
In both new cases, the person had not been in school buildings during the period they would have been contagious, Schafer said, so no other student, teacher, or staff member needed to be quarantined.
“We will continue to adhere to all safety measures,” Schafer said. “We are grateful to our families for the continued efforts to keep students home at the first sign of symptoms. As you know, mask wearing, hand washing, and physical distancing are also key. All of these in combination, greatly reduce the risk of transmission.”
The number of positive cases in Abington more than doubled in a week, according to state public health data, jumping from six cases on Sept. 24 to 14 cases on Sept. 30.
The following is an email sent out by Abington Schools Superintendent Peter Schafer Saturday morning to parents and guardians.
The first weeks of school have given us the opportunity to put our many health and safety protocols to work. I am so very proud of our exceptional team of school nurses, faculty, staff and administration; they are all thoughtfully and diligently facing all of our new challenges. Our Abington students are amazing; they are following the needed rules before them and working through the challenges. Additionally, our collaboration with a dedicated Town of Abington Health Department should be the model for the State. All of these elements coming together keep the community as safe as possible.
We all know COVID-19 cases will continue to be identified. The Abington Public Schools, in collaboration with the Abington Health Department, are responding quickly and comprehensively when they occur within the school community. Working together to follow the established protocols that have been put in place is key to mitigating the spread. Additionally, your child’s school nurse has the training and expertise to make informed decisions on how you should proceed if you are faced with a health issue, contact them promptly if you have questions or concerns.
There is no stigma associated with COVID-19. Over seven million Americans have been diagnosed to date – it can happen to anyone. As we attempt to return to a more normal way of life, and it is inevitable that we will have more COVID-19 cases. Please be forthcoming if you have information that may impact the safety of our schools, and reach out for help if needed, this gives us the best chance possible to keep people safe and schools open. We will do everything possible to protect your privacy, while taking steps to stop any potential spread that could harm our community members and close our schools.
Thank you very much for your ongoing patience and support.
Sincerely,
Peter Schafer