Dear Putnam Valley School Community,
Today, the District was notified that a student has tested positive for COVID-19. This student was last in attendance at Putnam Valley Elementary School on Friday, October 16. Due to the date of symptom onset, we anticipate the Department of Health will still conduct their contact tracing back to the date when the student was last in school. As required by law, we must maintain this person’s confidentiality, which prevents us from further identifying the individual.
We are working collaboratively with the Putnam County Department of Health to identify any staff members or students who may have been exposed. The exposed individuals must quarantine for 14 days and are encouraged to get tested.
At this time, we do not anticipate the need to close the Elementary School on Monday, October 26, if that changes, we will send out a notification by tomorrow afternoon.
The Putnam County Department of Health has a contact tracing system in place for Putnam County when there is a confirmed positive case of COVID-19. They work to identify those who have been in close or proximal contact with the positive person. District transportation was not impacted. Close contact means being within six feet of a person with COVID-19 for more than 10 minutes. Proximal contact means being in a room or enclosed space with a positive case for an extended period of time. If you are identified as a contact of the person who tested positive, you will receive a call from a contact tracer. For such calls, your caller ID may read NYS Contact Tracing or display a phone number with a 518 area code. Please answer these calls promptly and provide the Contact Tracers with the information they need to protect our school community and families.
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.
Thank you for your understanding and patience. We remain committed to the health and safety of all our students and staff.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools