November 18, 2020
Good afternoon,
The District has been contacted by the Onondaga County Health Department confirming three positive COVID-19 Coronavirus test results. One student attends West Genesee High School, the second West Genesee Middle School, and the third is a student in the fully remote instructional setting. The District supported the OCHD tracing investigation with relevant data including that of attendance.
It is important to know that all three cases required no school-based contact tracing (and therefore no school-based mandatory quarantines). Two because the students became symptomatic subsequent to their last dates of in-person attendance and the third due to the status of remote learning. As a reminder, tracing is a process that identifies any contacts of a person who tests positive for COVID- 19 for a “look back” of 48 hours prior to a positive test or signs of symptoms.
In this letter, we will not communicate personally identifiable information regarding any employees nor students per confidentiality with respect to personnel and provisions of Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) or Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).
Families should continue to monitor for symptoms. As a reminder, per the CDC, COVID-19 symptoms include but are not limited to:
- Fever 100.0 F or greater / or chills
- New loss of taste or smell
- Headache
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Muscle or body aches
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Congestion or runny nose
- Sore throat
- Nausea or Vomiting
Please see our school nurses’ health resources as listed on westgenesee.org for information and procedures.
The District continues to take precautions to protect the health and safety of its students and employees. We will continue to closely monitor this situation and communicate updates, if necessary. We appreciate your support and understanding on this matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your school health office, main office, or the WGCSD District Office.
Sincerely,
David C. Bills Superintendent of Schools