Derry Area closes schools until next week because of covid-19 cases
Derry Area schools will be closed through Friday because five district workers tested positive for covid-19, the district said Monday.
Superintendent Eric P. Curry said all school activities, including sports, will be canceled through Sunday and schools will reopen for in-person classes Monday. Anyone who had close contact — those within six feet of a person with covid-19 for 15 minutes — have been notified by the state Department of Health, the district said.
Curry said the district will not identify those who have tested positive nor say in which building they worked.
Curry could not be reached for comment.
Closing the schools for five days is in line with the guidelines from the state health and education departments that say schools in a county of moderate level of community transmission, such as Westmoreland, and have two to four students or staff in the same building or multiple school buildings with individual cases who are not residing in the same house.
Students will receive instruction online. The school lunch program will continue, Curry said.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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