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September 26, 2020 by Carol Britton Meyer
In a letter to the Hingham Public Schools community last night, Supt. of Schools Paul Austin said school officials were notified yesterday "that two people in our school community have tested positive for COVID-19. Our first responsibility is to keep our students and staff safe." Plans to reopen the schools on Monday remain unchanged at this time.
According to Austin, neither of these individuals have "close contacts" in the schools, because they were not in any of those buildings during their infectious period.
Hingham Executive Health Officer Susan Sarni confirmed to the Hingham Anchor today that "all close contacts have been notified according to Center for Disease Control and Department of Public Health guidance, as we have been doing since February with Hingham's first case." All close contacts are in quarantine, as well as the person who tested positive, according to Sarni.
If an individual or individuals test positive, anyone who is within six feet of that individual for more than 15 minutes is considered a "close contact" and therefore required to quarantine for 14 days.
Because of federal privacy laws, no specific information about the affected individuals can be shared.
This news came three days before plans to reopen the HPS this coming Monday under the hybrid model, which is a combination of in-person and remote learning.
During a telephone interview this morning, Austin told the Hingham Anchor that he has been in close communication with the Hingham Board of Health and is "monitoring the spread of COVID-19 in our community closely," including a conversation with Sarni this morning.
After consulting with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Hingham Board of Health, plans to begin the hybrid "in-person" phase on Monday remain at this time, Austin said.
Safety remains top priority
"As with most communications I send, I do receive a healthy number of emails. I recognize that people want more detail, but I would like everyone to know that if someone is identified at risk because of being a close contact, we will contact them immediately. Safety has been and will continue to be my top priority," Austin said.
Once school officials were notified of the two positive tests, the district was in "direct and immediate contact with the Hingham Board of Health," and remains in close communication with the board, continuing to follow its guidance.
Sarni has been in close communication with Hingham's public and private schools and said they are doing "a wonderful job -- social distancing, wearing face masks, cleaning, and following all the guidance that's available. We're so fortunate to have so many wonderful teachers, school nurses [and other members of the school community]. Everyone is doing their part."
Austin said that in his letter last night that he was sharing the information he had to date and outlined the steps HPS is taking to "move forward safely. . . . We understand that this situation can create worry and anxiety, and we take that seriously. At this time, only individuals who may have been in direct contact with the individuals who tested positive are considered at risk and require quarantine," he stated.
Austin reminded the school community, "If you are ever contacted by your local board of health (or their contact tracers) indicating that you are a close contact, you must remain in quarantine for the full 14 days, regardless of test results during quarantine."
School officials' first responsibility "is to keep our students and staff safe," he said in the letter, noting that school officials "have been planning for this scenario during our reopening planning process and have a comprehensive plan in place to inform families and staff."
Following safety and health protocols
School officials continue to follow state reopening protocols for creating the safest environment possible for students, teachers, administrators and school staff.
"We know that there have been COVID-19 cases in the overall Hingham community all summer, so this is a continuation of that event," Austin told the Hingham Anchor. "It's also a reminder for the need for everyone to remain vigilant and to take all precautions necessary in order to keep our schools open. Safety remains my top priority."
Austin and Sarni are in communication on a regular basis, sometimes multiple times a day. "We're doing the best we can to mitigate [the risks of COVID-19] in our community and to ensure safety across the board," Austin said
In his letter, Austin urged all members of the school community to continue to wear face masks and to follow physical distancing protocols. "These mitigation strategies are imperative to a safe and successful school year," he stated.
"These are difficult times, and I know that messages like the one I sent yesterday cause worry and anxiety, and I take that very seriously," Austin said during the telephone interview. He reiterated that the district has been planning for these scenarios and has followed, and continue to follow, all protocols.
"My letter was intended to alert the community and to provide the information that I received," he continued. "Perhaps one of the most important details in my letter was that neither of the individuals was in our schools during their infectious periods. Thus, the district did not identify any close contacts in the schools. Had either of the individuals been in any of our schools during their infectious periods, we would have assisted the Board of Health in contact tracing, the individuals identified as close contacts would be contacted, and I would have communicated all relevant information to the community."
Austin said he will continue to provide communications "to all affected stakeholders, as relevant information becomes available."
Anyone with questions or concerns is asked to contact their child's school nurse or the Hingham Board of Health at (781) 741-1466.
Hingham was in the "yellow" zone (moderate-risk) as of this past Wednesday, the day that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health releases the latest COVID-19 statistics for individual communities.