Whitehall-Coplay School District administration informed parents and guardians Nov. 2 about two confirmed COVID-19 cases at Whitehall High School, as well as a presumed positive case from one of the high school’s learn-at-home students.

Due to these additional cases, and with guidance from Pennsylvania Department of Health, the high school was closed for the rest of this week. High school students were instructed to log on to their teacher’s Google Classroom sites Nov. 3-6. Students attending classes at Lehigh Career and Technical Institute were expected to log on to their LCTI Schoolology accounts for further instructions.

All extracurricular activities at WHS are canceled during the school closure.

This decision to close and thoroughly clean the school, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, comes after one presumed case and four confirmed cases were reported within six days at WHS. The school district also sent a letter home Oct. 30 regarding a confirmed positive case for a WHS student. A letter sent Oct. 26 notified families a staff member at the high school was confirmed positive.

WHS previously closed Sept. 25-29 after two confirmed and two presumed cases were reported within the same week. Notification was made Sept. 24 and the school reopened Sept. 30, with students attending in-person classes Oct. 1.

Additional positive cases and notifications include an individual at Gockley Elementary School, Oct. 16; Steckel Elementary School, Sept. 19; WHS, Sept. 17; and a confirmed positive case “within the district,” Sept. 8.

The Nov. 2 letter to parents and guardians also reminded families Lehigh County recently moved to the “substantial” classification for COVID-19 community transmission.

“With this new information, the district will need to monitor the situation very closely, as it may impact our instructional delivery in the future,” the letter stated.

The district continues to urge families and students to monitor for symptoms and to keep students home if they exhibit any possible COVID-19 symptoms. A screening procedure card is available to help parents and guardians recognize signs of the virus.

Additional guidance to help reduce the spread of the virus includes the proper use of a face mask, avoiding touching faces, appropriate hand washing technique, avoiding contact with frequently touched surfaces and social distancing.