A high school student from Hackettstown High School has tested positive for COVID-19 on the first day of school, according to superintendent David Mango.
According to reports, the student went to school on the first day and later tested positive for COVID-19. It is not known for sure if the high school student did not know that he had the virus, or if he was asymptomatic since he had the test post-school day. But this incident demonstrates that this is going to be a difficult school year.
The school enacted the health and safety protocols enacted for the case of the high school student who tested positive. The containment protocol for a confirmed case is a possible school-wide virtual instruction for a day to allow the health department to complete its investigation and contact tracing.
The high school student under quarantine
The student is under quarantine. All other students and staff in close contact with the person for more than 10 minutes will also have to quarantine.
You can read: More NJ schools are adopting all-remote instruction mode
Many school districts in the state chose a hybrid model. It is uncertain if an ‘A’ – ‘B’ schedule with virtual learning on one day might not be enough to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. Governor Phil Murphy has said that he is monitoring schools throughout the state. Murphy assured that if there is a fall surge, schools will be closed.
Mango says school administrators did not know about the high school student case until this morning.