Staff member at Hunt Elementary tests positive for covid-19

A staff member at Roy A. Hunt Elementary School in Arnold has tested positive for covid-19, New Kensington-Arnold acting Superintendent Jon Banko said Sunday.

Four people who were in close contact with the unidentified employee are quarantined, Banko said.

“Everyone that is considered a close contact of this staff member has been contacted,” Banko said in a message to district residents. “If you were not contacted directly by me today, you are not considered at risk at this time.”

The district is not making any changes to its instruction as a result. The elementary school will be sanitized before anyone arrives Monday, Banko said.

The state Department of Health on Saturday reported 155 new cases of coronavirus in Westmoreland County. Of those, 97 were confirmed and 58 were probable. There were two additional deaths, for a total of 133 in the county.

The county has had a total of 5,912 cases.

Banko reminded district residents to continue with safe practices including wearing a mask, maintaining social distance, hand washing and staying home if not feeling well.

“If everyone does their part to control the spread of the virus we can expect to minimize the infection rates within our schools and with those that we care about,” Banko said. “We will continue to do all that we can to keep our schools safe.”