by KATE EVANS
Morgan County Schools and the Berkeley-Morgan County Health Department received confirmation that a Berkeley Springs High School staff member and another Morgan County Schools employee have tested positive for COVID-19. Within the last two weeks, central office staff and an employee at Pleasant View Elementary were also confirmed to have the respiratory disease.
According to a November 25 press release from Morgan County Schools, the two cases are unrelated and have been traced to exposures outside of school.
The Berkeley-Morgan County Health Department has been working closely with Morgan County Schools to identify any potential persons who may have had close contact with these individuals including students, staff, family members and friends. The Health Department will contact those that need to be quarantined.
The Health Department is working to notify those who were known to be in close contact with the positive individuals. If there’s a chance you may have been exposed and the health department can trace that activity to you, you will be notified, said school officials.
School Superintendent Kristen Tuttle has urged the entire community to follow established protocols for preventing COVID-19 to keep schools open. Those protocols include hand washing, wearing face masks, social distancing and proper hygiene while at school and while away from school.
Students are not set to return to in-person schooling until Thursday, December 3 due to an order from Governor Jim Justice. County schools will reopen to students if local COVID cases remain within the West Virginia Department of Education’s guidelines for in-person instruction.
