POUGHKEEPSIE – On Sunday, March 22, 2020, the Poughkeepsie City School District (PSCD) learned that a staff member at Poughkeepsie High School tested positive for COVID-19.
According to a statement from the district’s spokesman, Irwin Goldberg, the PSCD immediately filed a report with the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health after learning of the positive test and consulted with Commissioner Dr. A.K. Vaidian, to discuss the situation and obtain guidance.
Based on the facts received by the PCSD, the staff member was exposed to COVID-19 by someone outside of the high school community and sought testing after being notified of their potential exposure. The testing occurred after their last day at PHS Thursday, March 19.
It is believed that the staff member’s presence at PHS on March 19, did not put the general public at risk, however, as a precaution, the sixteen people believed to have had close contact with the staff member have been notified and advised to self-quarantine and contact their primary physician as a precautionary measure.
Because the schools were closed most of last week, the district said “We don’t have reason to believe that any students had direct contact with the affected person at the school while he/she was symptomatic.”
The staff member is quarantined per their doctor’s orders and the federal guidance related to testing positive for COVID-19.
Other district employees and parents of students at PHS have been notified of the situation.
PCSD is taking precautionary measures to ensure that all students and staff are safe. In response to this news, the high school will undergo deep cleaning to ensure that it is thoroughly sanitized before the school reopens for instruction.
PCSD will continue to communicate with the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health and communicate any new developments that may impact our school community.
In addition, PHS families can pick up At-Home Learning materials tomorrow, March 24, at PACE, 18 South Perry St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The learning materials are also available online at www.poughkeepsieschools.org.
