After the first two weeks of the school year, Bethlehem Area School District Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy has provided the community with a COVID-19 status update, saying returning to a regular class schedule after last year’s partial school days and elearning has been a bigger challenge than expected, but staff and students are adjusting well.

Roy said there have been 84 reported cases since the beginning of school, and the numbers are increasing mor quickly than expected, and while the numbers are getting worse, they’re in proportion to the increase in numbers across the county.

Roy said high community spread is being monitored by contact tracing, and BASD is reviewing the number of positive cases on a “school by school basis, taking a holistic approach in conjunction with the health bureau recommendations.”

Miller Heights ES returned to remote learning this week after recording 12 positive cases within such a small school.

On a positive note, Roy announced happily that no fully vaccinated students have been identified as having COVID, and stressed the need for vaccination.

He concluded by encouraging age-appropriate students to be vaccinated and for parents to be steadfast in monitoring their children for COVID symptoms. He said he understands everyone’s enthusiasm to remain in school but stressed the need for vigilance.

Miller Heights

update

On Sept. 17, Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy presented a follow-up COVID report regarding Miller Heights ES. Miller Heights will return to live classes next week after nine days of virtual learning.

Roy said one lesson learned from Miller Heights is that children can be contagious without showing symptoms. A child exposed to a person who is positive for COVID outside of school needs to be quarantined, (check with pediatrician for time line).

Another lesson learned is that COVID is spread through the family and hence through the community. An example of this would be an elementary child who is exposed can pass the virus to an older sibling, possibly in high school.

Lastly, Dr. Roy emphasized the importance of parents monitoring family symptoms and being vigilant when children have been exposed or are showing symptoms.

“We do not want to reignite the chain of transmission,” he said.