HAS & LAS Positive Cases 11/5

November 5, 2020 

Dear Cranford community,

The purpose of this letter is to inform you that an individual in HAS Middle School and an individual at Livingston Avenue School have tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently self-isolating.  The District is working closely with public health officials in order to assure the health and safety of our community.  The Township Health Office, who is conducting contact tracing, will communicate directly with those individuals who have been identified as a close contact and will advise those families accordingly.  As per the NJ Department of Health, close contact is defined as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated. 

Please be advised that any family who has a child in the Livingston Avenue classroom where the individual tested positive has already been notified.   Please further be advised that parents/guardians of any student in HAS Middle School who have one or more classes with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 have already been notified.  At this time, Livingston Avenue School can resume in-person instruction on Monday, November 9.  Prior to Monday, an additional deep cleaning will take place while contact tracing is conducted.

Additionally, please be further advised that, based on guidance from the Township Health Department, Hillside Avenue School will transition to full remote learning for 14 days.  Full remote learning will start on Monday, November 9, and will conclude on Wednesday, November 18.  In-person instruction will resume again at Hillside Avenue School on Thursday, November 19.  The Health Department based its decision for HAS to temporarily transition to full remote learning on the following: this is the third case within the last 5 days at HAS, Union County cases are on the rise, and we are in a moderate zone according to the regional COVID-19 activity level matrix.  Our purpose in temporarily transitioning is to mitigate any reasonable possibility of spread within the school, which at the present time, we have no evidence of.   

In the meantime, the Township Health Department has verified that, currently, all other District schools should continue to operate on their current schedules.

I also recognize that many of you would like more detailed information about the case or contacts of the case. The information I am providing you here has been composed in consultation with and vetted by the Department of Health, and I am not in a position to comment further.  We are hopeful that the mitigation measures we have in place, such as universal masking, screening procedures, social distancing, enhanced cleaning procedures, and other precautions, will have their intended effect and reduce or minimize the risk of transmission in the school environment.  We encourage parents and students to continue following the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention promoted safeguards, such as:

• Staying home when you are sick;

• Washing hands often for at least 20 seconds;

• Covering coughs and sneezes and properly disposing of tissues;

• Limiting close contact with people who are sick and not sharing food, drinks and utensils;

• Practicing social distancing (staying at least 6 feet apart);

• Wearing a face covering while in school; and

• Continuing to monitor your health for symptoms

• Immediately notifying your child’s school if they have a positive COVID-19 test result
  
  

As always, we appreciate your support and cooperation.  Moving forward, you can assist us by remaining vigilant but sensible in your approach to dealing with this health concern.  Thank you for your ongoing patience and flexibility as we continue to make our way through this school year.  

Sincerely,

Scott Rubin
Wear a mask, Wash your hands, Watch your distance