SWR High School closes for second straight day as more than 100 students quarantine

The latest positive COVID-19 cases at Shoreham-Wading River High School resulted in a total of 125 students requiring quarantine as well as 11 staff members, Superintendent Gerard Poole said.

The high school closed Friday for the second straight day.

Quarantine determinations were made by the Suffolk County Department of Health following its investigation into the positive cases. Mr. Poole previously said that three students had tested positive after attending a social gathering last weekend.

Remote learning was used Thursday and Friday in place of in-person learning. All the other buildings in the district remain open.

“The health and safety of our students and staff is of the utmost priority,” Mr. Poole said in a note to parents.

Mr. Poole said Wednesday night that two students had tested positive in addition to another student reported earlier in the week. The health department’s investigation into the two most recent cases resulted in about 110 students and eight staff members needing quarantine. That brought the total to 125 students and 11 staff members.

Mr. Poole said the impacted staff and students will be notified by the district in advance of being contacted by the health department.

It’s unclear if the high school building will reopen Monday. The buildings are closed Tuesday for Election Day. Mr. Poole directed parents to the reopening section of the district’s website for more information on remote learning.

The district reported its first COVID-19 about a month ago when a high school student tested positive. The student was not in school during the infectious period so there was no school exposure, Mr. Gerard said. The department of health completed a review of the case Oct. 3. The buildings did not have to close after that positive case. A total of five high school students have tested positive since the start of the school year, according to the State Department of Health’s online database. The three reported by the superintendent this week are the only ones that are in the last two weeks.

“It is critically important that parents and staff communicate test results immediately to the district and make sure that they immediately procure a copy of the positive test report from the lab or health provider’s office to share with the school health office,” Mr. Poole said earlier this month.