Penn-Trafford High School closed after 2nd coronavirus case there

The high school is the latest building to close after a spate of coronavirus cases were reported in the Penn-Trafford School District.

Superintendent Matthew Harris, in a letter to parents Friday, said school officials were notified that a staff member at the high school tested positive for coronavirus. This is the second positive case reported at the high school within 14 days of each other, requiring officials to close the building for five days, according to guidelines from the state department of education.

A student on Thursday reported a positive case to high school officials, Harris said.

The school was closed starting Friday, and athletic and extracurricular activities were canceled. All activities will resume as normal beginning Wednesday. In the meantime, students will receive remote instruction. Teachers who typically alternate between buildings from the high school will not be permitted to do so at this time as they are being monitored for symptoms.

Harris said contact tracing was completed at the school. Those who came in close contact with the infected individual were contacted by the state Department of Health or school nurse. A close contact is someone who was within 6 feet of the positive case for 15 consecutive minutes or longer.

Three other Penn-Trafford schools are closed after several covid-19 cases were reported. Harrison Park, which has two positive cases, closed Friday. It will reopen Oct. 14. Sunrise Elementary, which has four cases, will remain closed until Oct. 22 and Level Green, which has eight positive cases, will remain closed until Oct. 15.

While the schools are closed, students at the three elementary schools will receive remote instruction.

“We will continue to closely monitor the cases within our district and follow all directions provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health,” Harris wrote. “We understand that parents want to know details of the positive covid-19 individuals but we can not release confidential information due to privacy laws.”

Students and staff are encouraged to use a symptom screening tool. If there are visible symptoms or if someone came in close contact with a positive case, students and staff are required to stay home and contact the school nurse.