WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Four children and two faculty members from Pine Cobble School have tested positive for COVID-19, the private school's head reported on Friday.
Ten days after a kindergarten teacher went home with a fever, the ensuing tests have turned up six cases, Sue Wells said.
"All the cases are contained to the kindergarten families, and the teachers in the kindergarten," she said.
All of the families in that kindergarten cohort were ordered by public health officials to either be tested for the novel coronavirus or quarantine for 14 days, Wells said.
The school sent home the kindergarten pupils and any siblings on Wednesday, Sept. 9, the day a teacher first reported symptoms.
Due to HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) concerns, Wells said she could not disclose whether she knew if any of the other five people who subsequently have tested positive ever displayed COVID-19 symptoms.
After the initial teacher's test came back positive for the virus on Sept. 12, the school announced it would go to fully remote instruction for at least two weeks starting on Monday, Sept. 14.
Wells said Friday that Pine Cobble, which tested its entire school community prior to the start of classes on Sept. 8, plans to conduct another round of tests on the entire community -- faculty, staff and pupils -- on Friday, Sept. 25.
Pending the results of those tests, the school still hopes to reopen for in-person instruction on Tuesday, Sept. 29, Wells said.
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Williamstown Select Board Talks Dog Park, Short-Term Rentals
By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Select Board could be going back to the drawing board on a proposal to designate an area of the Spruces Park for off-leash dogs.
At last week's meeting, Andrew Hogeland gave his colleagues an update on a topic that has been discussed at length by the board this year.
Hogeland said he had consulted with other stakeholders in the park, specifically the Hoosic River Watershed Association, Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation and town Conservation Commission.
"I figured they would have some thoughts about what happens in that territory," Hogeland said. "They did. Not entirely in favor, as you might predict."
The Conservation Commission, for example, suggested that the Select Board hold off on making any designations for use of the park until after town meeting decides whether to put all of the Spruces under the care, custody and control of the Con Comm — an action the Select Board later recommended against at the April 8 meeting.
The conservation groups also pointed out to Hogeland that a significant portion of the Spruces acreage is designated as a priority habitat for endangered species.
"The concept of having dogs running around that environment is something we should think seriously about," Hogeland said.
Neighbors of a proposed subdivision off Summer Street last week asked the Planning Board to take a critical look at the project, which the residents say is out of scale to the neighborhood. click for more
The Select Board and Planning Board this week clashed over a proposal that would add to the town charter a mechanism to ensure compliance with the foundation of town government. click for more
The Select Board has agreed to remove the town flag a year after town meeting established a bylaw restricting the use of flags on public property.
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