Dear Putnam Valley School Community,
This afternoon, the District was notified that an individual at Putnam Valley Middle School has tested positive for COVID-19. 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 students or staff members who may have been exposed. Students who are determined to be potential contacts of the positive individual will be contacted via email, staff members who are identified as contacts will be contacted directly by an administrator.
Any exposed individuals must quarantine for 14 days and are encouraged to get tested five days after their last exposure. A negative test is not required to return to school at the conclusion of the quarantine period. Additionally, a negative test does not reduce the 14 day quarantine period. In accordance with guidance from the New York State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, the school has been cleaned and disinfected in the areas where COVID positive individual was present. More information on precautionary quarantine can be found here.
The New York State Department of Health has a contact tracing system in place for when there is a confirmed positive case of COVID-19. If you are identified as a contact of the person who tested positive, you should 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 you or a family member is becoming ill, stay home and consult with a 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