WATERVILLE — Temple Tots, the day care center affiliated with Temple Academy on West River Road in Waterville, has closed temporarily due to inadequate staffing after an employee reported having contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19.

Temple Superintendent Kevin Wood said the day care closed Monday because without that staff person, there were not enough employees for the number of children at the facility.

Wood said the closure was not because of the employee’s exposure to a person who had tested positive for the virus.

“We don’t have any COVID cases,” Wood said Monday. “They had a staff member who had secondary, or tertiary, exposure to a person. The CDC (Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention) wouldn’t ask us to close here because of that. Only out of an abundance of caution did we have those staff people stay home. There is no COVID exposure at the daycare.”

Temple Academy on West River Road in Waterville also houses the Temple Tots day care program. Scott Monroe/Morning Sentinel file

Temple Tots has six staff members and operates from the Temple Academy property on West River Road, but not in the same building as the school.

Wood said neither the day care nor the school has had any COVID-19 infections.

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The day care is licensed for about 36 children, but the number enrolled is fewer than 20, according to Wood.

The day care staff member learned over the weekend that someone with whom she had spent time late last week — away from Temple’s property — had tested positive Saturday, according to Wood.

That staff member notified the day care director, who notified Wood. Staff members and parents of children enrolled at the day care were then notified it was going to close Monday.

“The director and I spoke with the staff person yesterday and last night, and decided to keep all the staff people home,” Wood said.

Wood said the staff member who was exposed might take a COVID-19 test.

“Rather than being quarantined for 14 days, I think she has the option of being tested,” he said, adding there is a five-day incubation period before one can be tested, and he thinks she was exposed Friday.

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Wood said he was not certain when the day care will reopen.

“We will be open as soon as we have enough staff to cover,” he said.

 

 

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