October 1, 2020 by Carol Britton Meyer
For the second time in a week, Supt. of Schools Paul Austin alerted the Hingham Public Schools community of positive COVID-19 test results within the school community -- one today in the Hingham Middle School community and two others late last week.
"I am in constant contact with the Hingham Board of Health on these cases," Austin told the Hingham Anchor today. "At this point, we have been very fortunate that none of the cases have had close contacts in any of our schools because none of them have been in school during their infectious periods."
When asked by the Hingham Anchor if there is a "tipping point" at which there would be a return to remote learning, Austin said that while there is none, per se, "This is an extremely fluid situation, and conditions can change rapidly. I will say that our district is incredibly fortunate to be ready to switch to remote without much advance notice. The next few months may be very difficult to manage, but I will do whatever I need to do to keep all students and staff as safe as possible."
In a letter to the HPS community today, Austin and Hingham Middle School Principal Derek Smith reported that an individual in the Middle School community had tested positive for COVID-19.
While specific information cannot be shared, Austin said "there have been no identified 'close contacts' in our schools" with the Middle School community member who tested positive, since he or she was not present in the building during their infectious period.
Any other individuals who have been in close contact with the HMS community member will be notified privately and are expected to be tested and to self-quarantine for 14 day after their last exposure to the person who tested positive, regardless of test results.
"All close contacts have been notified to quarantine," Hingham Executive Health Officer Susan Sarni told the Hingham Anchor, adding as a reminder, "You can't test negative out of a quarantine."
Middle School students and staff have been adhering closely to COVID-19 safety protocols -- wearing face masks, washing their hands, and social distancing, according to Austin. He also thanked families for their continuing efforts to keep their children home at the first sign of any symptoms. "These measures, taken in combination, greatly reduce the risk of additional transmission," he said.
School officials have been "planning for this scenario during our reopening planning process and have a comprehensive plan in place to sanitize the school, inform families whose students were at risk of exposure or in close contact, and to support the affected family as they navigate this stressful experience," Austin said in the letter.
In a Sept. 25 letter to the HPS community, Austin reported that two individuals in the school community had tested positive for COVID-19, but that neither of them had "close contacts" in the HPS, because they were not in any of those buildings during their infectious period.
If an individual tests positive, anyone who is within six feet of that person 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.
Austin encourages members of the school community to continue to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and to stay at home if anyone shows symptoms or is not feeling well.
The HPS administration is continuing to follow all Massachusetts Department of Public Health protocols and to collaborate with the Hingham Health Department to complete contact tracing as necessary.
Parents and guardians whose students are tested for COVID-19 are asked to report the results to their school nurse. "We are working hard to understand the impact of the virus on our school community, and this information is a critical piece of the puzzle," Austin said.
Remote learning will be provided for any student who is required to quarantine.
Call any of the HPS school nurses or the Hingham Board of Health at (781) 741-1466 with any questions or concerns.