Dear Putnam Valley School Community,
We were notified late last evening that a student at Putnam Valley Middle School tested positive for the COVID virus. After speaking with the Department of Health, we were able to determine that contact tracing will not impact students or staff at PVMS.
Yesterday was obviously a tough day for both Putnam Valley and Putnam County. While the district was notified of several positive cases, the number of positive cases in the county mirrored numbers not seen since last spring. We remain committed to following the health and safety protocols we have in place to prevent the virus from spreading within our school, something we have accomplished so far this year. We also continue to encourage individuals to follow all public health guidelines when outside of our schools.
As I shared in my last communication, the Governor has established the metrics that would identify a school within a “cluster” zone. We continue to monitor these numbers on a daily basis, while we have seen an increase in the number of positive cases in Putnam County, the county as a whole remains well below the threshold to be identified as a cluster zone.
We continue to work collaboratively with the Putnam and Westchester County Departments of Health. As required by law, we must maintain confidentiality, which prevents us from further identifying individuals.
As a reminder, if you believe at any point you may have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, you should self-quarantine and speak to your healthcare provider. If you suspect your child is becoming ill, that child should stay home and you should consult with your physician. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle pain, fatigue, new onset of loss of taste and/or smell, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea.
Visit the NY State Find a Test Site Near You page and enter your address to view a list of the nearest testing sites. For more information on COVID-19, please call (866) 588-0195 or visit the Putnam County Department of Health at Putnam County Department of Health website.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools