Education Center Notification - December 15, 2020

December 15, 2020

Dear Education Center Staff, 

I was informed that an individual who is a member of the education center community has tested positive for COVID-19. Please note that this person was potentially infectious on Thursday (12/10), Friday (12/11), and Monday (12/14) while in our building. Please know, that I have already contacted staff in our building who may have been exposed to this person while infectious. As required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, we must maintain this person’s confidentiality, which prevents us from further identifying the individual.

The Westchester County Department of Health has a contact tracing system in place for Westchester County when there is a confirmed case. They work to identify those who have been in close contact with a positive person while they are infectious. Close contact means being within six feet of a person with COVID-19 for more than 10 minutes, or in a room together, such as students / teachers in a classroom. If you are identified as a close contact of the person who tested positive, you will receive a call from a contact tracer. For such calls, 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 which will help to protect us all.

As a reminder, if you believe at any point you may have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, you should self-quarantine and be tested for COVID-19. Visit the NY State Find a Test Site Near You page and enter your address to view a list of the nearest testing sites. In addition, if you suspect you are becoming ill, you should stay home. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, sore throat, and runny nose. Additional symptoms include muscle pain, fatigue, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea. You should consult with your physician for medical advice in specific cases.

Thank you for your understanding. I will continue to keep you informed regarding this particular situation, as appropriate. If at any point you test positive for COVID-19, please contact me immediately or your direct supervisor. For more information on COVID-19, please call (866) 588-0195 or visit the Westchester County Department of Health homepage.

Sincerely,

Christine Ackerman, PhD
Superintendent of Schools