Two additional staff members at the George L. Cooke Elementary School have tested positive for COVID-19. The individuals were contacts of the first identified positive case at Cooke and have not been in the building since Friday, Sept. 25.
The district first learned of a positive case in a Cooke staff member on Monday, Sept. 28, and preemptively closed the building to all students and staff, while they worked with Sullivan County Public Health Services to identify individuals who may have been exposed. On Wednesday, Sept. 30 the district announced that 28 individuals at the school had been identified as possible exposures and required to self-quarantine for a 14-day period. These two staff members were among those 28 individuals and have not been in the building since Friday, Sept. 25 (the district was closed on Monday, Sept. 28 in observance of Yom Kippur). The district also announced on Wednesday, Sept. 30 that all Cooke students would move to fully remote instruction as a result of these circumstances, through Friday, Oct. 9.
Any person who is showing symptoms of COVID-19, which include fever greater than 100 degrees, cough, chills, body aches, shortness of breath, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea should contact their primary physician.
For more information on the CDC’s contact tracing guidance, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/php/contact-tracing-CDC-role-and-approach.pdf
Information on COVID-19 infection rates on New York State schools can be found at https://schoolcovidreportcard.health.ny.gov/#/home