December 18, 2020
Dear Parents/Guardians and Students: We recently learned that two individuals associated with our schools have tested positive for COVID-19 and were in the building when students were present.
– George Read Middle School: This individual was last in the building on Monday, December 14th.
– William Penn High School – This individual was last in the building on Friday, December 11th.
While all Colonial students are participating in Virtual Academy, a small number of students continue to access Colonial buildings for specific reasons (i.e. athletics, driver’s education, special education testing, etc).
These individuals will not return to school until the isolation period has passed. Anyone who has been in close contact with the individual, as determined by the Division of Public Health, will be contacted by our partners at DPH and may have to quarantine for 14 days before returning to school. Individual decisions on quarantining are made by DPH epidemiologists, in consultation with the affected individual, and may depend on whether the individual was wearing a mask.
Please visit https://coronavirus.delaware.gov to learn more about DPH protocols around positive COVID-19 cases in schools.
We always encourage you to monitor your child for any symptoms of COVID-19. If a student or staff member is sick with any of the following symptoms, stay home: fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, chills, shaking with chills, loss of smell or taste, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, or headache or congestion or runny nose without a known cause such as allergies. Our school nurses are available to support your family by reviewing symptoms to watch for, answering questions you may have, assisting with follow-up communications and providing further information on available testing sites. COVID-19 testing is free and available in our local community.
DPH encourages all Delawareans – whether you are experiencing symptoms or not – to consider getting a free test. That will help our state more accurately track the spread of the disease and keep our communities healthy. Visit https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/testing/ for the latest updates on COVID-19 in Delaware and information on free COVID-19 testing in Delaware.