Staff member of Gateway's Mosside Middle School tests positive for covid-19

A staff member at Gateway School District has tested positive for covid-19.

A letter addressed to parents Sept. 23 said the staff member is part of Mosside Middle School. Dennis Chakey, assistant superintendent and the district’s pandemic coordinator, said in the letter the district was notified of the positive test result Sept. 23.

The individual, whom the district identified only as a “staff member,” has been quarantined and has not worked in the building since Sept. 18.

Through contact tracing, the district found the person came in contact with one other individual. The district’s letter did not specify whether the person was a district employee or student. That person is now required to quarantine for 14 days.

The Allegheny County Health Department defines close contact as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from two days before the illness until the time of quarantine.

The district welcomed students back to its seven buildings Sept. 8.

Its reopening plan includes a hybrid learning model, where students attend school twice a week for in-person instruction. The other three days they learn remotely.

Some students opted to return to school for in-person instruction, while others opted for completely remote instruction.

School board vice president Rick McIntyre said he could not discuss further details because he did not know anything beyond what was stated in the letter sent to parents.