COVID-19 reported at North Hero School

Photo credit: ROB SWANSON, Islander Photojournalist.

BY MIKE DONOGHUE
Islander Staff Writer
 
NORTH HERO -- A student at the North Hero Elementary School has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, officials confirmed Friday.

School Superintendent Michael J. Clark said the district received the medical report about 3 p.m. Thursday and the school officials began working with the Vermont Health Department for the next steps to protect others.

He said the district reached out to faculty, staff and students to alert them in a letter Thursday evening.

The Health Department also began trying to identify people that may have had direct contact with the student.  The department also is tracing others that may have had contact.

Dr. Mark Levine, Vermont's health commissioner, said he could not offer any more information Friday when asked about the case by The Islander at Governor's Phil Scott's twice weekly news conference.

He also did not have names of the other schools that had been added in recent days to the list with positive tests.
 
The positive test marks the 19th known reported case known in Grand Isle County.
 
Clark estimated about 70 of the 80 students at the school are attending in-person classes with half coming in on either Monday/Thursday and the other half on Tuesday/Friday.  The rest are learning at home.
 
Clark said the school on U.S. 2 is cleaned thoroughly each day.  The Health Department has indicated that the North Hero School campus is safe to remain open for continued classes, he said.

The Health Department is trying to locate those that were in the specific classroom for more than four hours, or if anybody had spent at least 15 minutes within 6 feet of the impacted student.

Clark said the impacted grade level will transition to strictly remote learning until at least the end of next week.
 
"We look forward to their return on November 16," Clark said.

Officials do not plan to identify the name of the student for privacy reasons.
 
The school district will continue to provide updates when available.

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