AUGUSTA — Lillian P. Hussey Elementary School in Augusta reported a positive COVID-19 case Monday afternoon, its third in the last week.
Hussey Principal Troy Alexander did not specify if the individual is a student or staff member, but said that the individual is in isolation and close contacts have been contacted.
The community learned of Monday’s reported case, the third that Hussey Elementary School has seen since Dec. 7, when Alexander sent out a notice to the community with news that one individual within the school had a positive COVID-19 test and another had a probable positive.
The two Hussey cases from Dec. 7 had no close contacts that were identifiable because Augusta Public Schools operated fully remotely for a week after Thanksgiving break.
After seeing that the week was able to minimize coronavirus spread in the schools, the school board voted at the Dec. 9 meeting to start remote learning Dec. 17, ending Jan. 19, with the thought to minimize potential spread of the virus that may arise from the holiday break.
In addition to Hussey’s positive coronavirus case, Regional School Unit 2 Superintendent Tonya Arnold reported over the weekend that Marcia Buker Elementary School in Richmond is undergoing contact tracing.
Arnold said that there are only a few identifiable “close contacts” within the school and that the rest of the staff and students are to follow the regular hybrid schedule.
She also reminded the community in her note that a quarantine period can be up before 10 days if a negative test and no symptoms occur.
Maine reported 426 positive COVID-19 cases on Monday as the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine made its way into the state, landing at Northern Light Mercy Hospital in Portland and Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.
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