Students at Whitehall High School returned to classes in the blended instructional model Dec. 1 after being closed for positive COVID-19 cases and the Thanksgiving holiday.

Families were notified Nov. 18 about two confirmed and two presumed cases at WHS. Due to eight confirmed cases and two presumed positive cases within a week, administration, in conjunction with Pennsylvania Department of Health, decided to close the school Nov. 19-25 for proper cleaning and disinfecting, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Students were already off from school Nov. 26-30 for the Thanksgiving break.

Two additional positive COVID-19 cases were reported Nov. 19, according to a notification from the district. A notification Nov. 20 informed families of three new confirmed cases and two presumed positive cases at WHS. A staff member also tested positive, according to a Nov. 21 notice. A notification Nov. 25 noted two high school learn-at-home students and one in-person student also tested positive.

The Nov. 18 notification also reported a positive case at Steckel Elementary School. The Nov. 21 notification reported a Steckel Elementary staff member had tested positive.

A Dec. 1 notification reported two confirmed cases from staff members at WHS, one confirmed case of a staff member at Whitehall-Coplay Middle School and one positive student case at Zephyr Elementary School.

Whitehall-Coplay School District previously closed WCMS Nov. 12-19 and WHS Nov. 3-6 and Sept. 25-29.

The COVID-19 notification letters remind families Lehigh County is in 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 letters state.

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

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

For an updated count of district COVID-19 cases, see the WCSD website at whitehallcoplay.org/Page/3528.