via Rosemary Kraeger, Middletown Superintendent of Schools:
Dear Parents/Guardians of Middletown Public School Students:
Today, October 30, 2020, we were notified that a number of our students need to quarantine at Middletown High School. Currently, four students at the High School have tested positive for COVID-19. Staff have been working diligently to determine who had close contact with the students who tested positive.
A “close contact” is defined as a person(s) who were within 6 feet of an infected person (with or without a mask) for at least 15 minutes, or having unprotected direct contact with secretions of a person with confirmed COVID-19 during the infectious period (i.e. an infected person coughs in another person’s face). All close contacts will be notified and advised to get a test. The Rhode Island Department of Health will be involved and provide further guidance.
Symptoms of COVID-19 can include a cough, fever and chills, muscle and body aches, headache, runny nose or stuffy nose, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, and recent loss of taste or smell. Children usually experience symptoms that are milder than adults.
If you develop any of these symptoms, contact your healthcare provider or call the K12 COVID Test Scheduling Service at 1-844-857-1814 in order to schedule a test. You should not be charged any co-payments/deductible for testing per State and Federal guidance. Lack of insurance coverage will never stop someone from receiving a test.
The Middletown High School building will be closed until November 17, 2020 and students will engage in distance learning during this time. A distance learning schedule will be sent to all student and staff by Monday. We will clean all classrooms, bathrooms and other spaces used by students and staff in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
I do want to take this opportunity to note that social gatherings are now limited to 10 in the state of Rhode Island. Again, I ask that you be vigilant with your child. We all need to work together to keep our community safe.
Should you have any questions, please contact me at 401-849-2122 or rkraeger@mpsri.net. For additional information about COVID-19, visit: https://health.ri.gov/covid/
Rosemarie K. Kraeger
Superintendent of Schools
