November 14, 2020 Update

November 14, 2020

 

Dear North Salem Families and Community,

Today we were informed that an individual within the North Salem Central School District has been designated as a COVID-19 case.  The individual was last on District grounds at Pequenakonck Elementary (PQ) School on Monday, November 9, 2020.  We are required by law to maintain this person’s confidentiality, which prevents us from further identifying the individual and his or her specific role or function in the district.

We are working collaboratively with the Westchester County Department of Health to identify any students and/or employees who may have been exposed.  Any individual(s) deemed to be exposed must quarantine for a minimum of 14 days from the date of last exposure and should be assessed by a physician.

As a result of this notification, the North Salem Central School District is taking the following actions:

  • Contact tracing is underway and will be completed over the weekend
  • The District is continuously evaluating new information as it comes in and isevaluating PQ’s readiness to open based on staffing coverage
  • The next update will be communicated to you by the evening of Sunday, November 15, 2020, regarding the plans for Monday, November 16, 2020

The Department of Health has a Contact Tracing system in place when they are notified of a confirmed case of COVID-19.  The intent of this system is to identify those who may have been in contact with an individual who has been identified as a COVID-19 case.  We will work collaboratively with the Department of Health as contacts within the district are identified. 

If your child is identified as a contact of the individual who tested positive, we anticipate that you will receive a call from a Contact Tracer.  When receiving a call from a Contact Tracer, your caller ID may read NYS Contact Tracing or display a phone number with a (518) area code. Please answer these calls promptly and provide the Contact Tracers with the information they need to keep us all safe.

In addition to the Contact Tracing system, the district will also notify families if their children have been identified as having contact with an individual who has been identified as a COVID-19 case. If you are not notified within the next 48 hours, your child is NOT believed to have any risk of exposure.

If at any point you believe that your child may have been in contact with someone who has been identified as a COVID-19 case, your child must quarantine for a minimum of 14 days and his or her primary care physician should be consulted.  Your child cannot attend in-person schooling until the Department of Health releases him or her from quarantine.  As a reminder, if you suspect your child is becoming ill, he or she should stay home from school and the school should be notified. 

Please be assured that we will be transparent about any positive COVID-19 cases in our district, and we will keep you informed if more information needs to be communicated.  On behalf of the entire school community, thank you for doing your part to keep us all safe.

Ken Freeston