Plum's Pivik Elementary closed through November after positive covid-19 cases

Plum Borough School District officials have closed Pivik Elementary School and have directed students there to participate in online learning through Nov. 30.

In a letter sent to parents Thursday, the district said the decision was made after one teacher and one student at the school tested positive for covid-19. The school will reopen to students Dec. 1. An additional student at Plum High School also tested positive, the letter said.

“We have indicated previously that our ability to maintain operational status with an appropriate level of staff could become an issue that may necessitate migrating to remote learning,” the letter read. “Despite our best efforts, we have arrived at that point.”

One staff member and 33 students were determined to have been in close contact with the teacher and/or student who tested positive. In addition to the teacher testing positive, four other teachers were already in quarantine and two staff members are on non-covid related leaves of absence.

“The closure will allow for additional contact tracing, deep cleaning of our facilities, and time to evaluate the best course for moving forward,” the letter stated.

Contact tracing was used to determine which individuals might have been in close contact with the teacher and students.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines close contact as being within 6 feet of someone who has covid-19 for 15 minutes or longer.

Allegheny Health Department guidelines recommend that people who may have been exposed should quarantine for at least 14 days. Students may return to school after the quarantine period if they have not developed any symptoms.

Parents should check their students for any covid-19 symptoms and contact their health care provider and school nurse should any be discovered.

The district’s food services department will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch during the closure. Meals will need to be pre-ordered and picked up at 10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday at either the high school or Holiday Park Elementary.

The Pivik Elementary closure came just one day after the district closed Plum High School through the end of the month. That decision was made after three more students there tested positive for covid-19.

All sports and activities at the high school were also canceled through Dec. 1.

Allegheny County health officials said Thursday was the second consecutive day in which more than 600 new cases of coronavirus were reported.

The 609 additional covid-19 cases reported brings the total case count to 22,043 since the pandemic reached the county in March. The county recorded a record 620 new cases Wednesday.