3 Positive COVID Cases at Ellsworth Elementary-Middle School – School to Resume Monday October 25th

After staff at Ellsworth Elementary Middle School were able to initiate the contact tracing protocol on Friday, October 22nd when there was no school, it has been determined that there were 3 positive COVID cases, and that 34 students and 3 staff have been identified as close contacts. In-person learning will resume on Monday, October 25th for all who are not in "quarantine" status.

Superintendent Dan Higgins sent out a letter to the Ellsworth School District Staff and Families on Friday, October 22d

In the letter he explained

"We received confirmation Thursday afternoon that two individuals associated with EEMS tested positivefor Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). After receiving the report of positive test results, school staff initiated our response, which included communication with the Maine CDC and following the Maine CDC Standard Operating Procedure for investigation of COVID-19 in PK-12 Schools.

Through the contact tracing process, we were notified of a third positive case associated with EEMS. One of the individuals who tested positive was last in the school on Monday October 18 and the other two were last in school on Tuesday October 19. Contact tracing resulted in the identification of thirty-four students and two staff members as close contacts to the individual who tested positive. Of the close
contacts, twenty-two students are required to fully quarantine for ten days and one student will be able to attend school but is required to quarantine from community and co and extra-curricular activities as their exposure was classroom based, we have universal masking in place in our schools, and they are asymptomatic. Students who participate in the pooled testing program who received a negative follow-up test and are asymptomatic are also permitted to participate in co and extra-curricular activities. Eleven students and two staff members are fully vaccinated, asymptomatic and not required to quarantine"

If you have any questions, please contact Ellsworth Elementary Principal April Clifford, Ellwsworth Middle School Assistant Principal Scott Baillargeon, or School Nurse Joe Merrill at 667-6241