NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Drury High School will go to fully remote learning until after the Thanksgiving holiday after a second individual tested positive for COVID-19.
Grades 7 and 8 had already shifted to remote learning until at least Nov. 19 after an individual reported testing positive on Tuesday.
School officials on Friday learned of a second positive test for COVID-19 in an individual at Drury High School. The shift to remote is an effort "to minimize the risk of additional positive cases," according to a news release on the school district's website from Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Roberts-Morandi.
"Cleaning and disinfecting of the exposed location will be completed in accordance with the DPH and CDC guidance. Every individual with a potential exposure has been given instructions on the course of action they need to take, including self-isolating and testing, if directed," the release states.
The high school will be closed and students will be fully remote effective Monday, Nov. 16. Cohort A will resume in-person instruction on Monday, Nov. 30, and Cohort B on Thursday, Dec. 3.
Students who are attending the Greenhouse program or Armory Campus are not affected and will continue their usual schedule, including in-person instruction.
Novel coronavirus cases have risen sharply in the county, particularly in Pittsfield, which has put all schools on remote learning and suspended table service at restaurants. North Adams has not gotten to that point, but city officials say they are keeping an eye on local cases.
Statewide, there is potential for the governor to rollback the Phase 3 reopening plans as a number of communities have already taken a step back, including Pittsfield. A field hospital is being stood up at the DCU Center in Worcester, the first since June.
In Williamstown, the private Pine Cobble School went remote this week until after the Thanksgiving break after its four sending counties, Berkshire, Bennington, Rensselaer and Washington, rose above the risk indices for more than 72 hours.
Other school districts remain open but are cautiously watching the numbers.
"Transmission is not occurring within our school settings but primarily outside of school in social gatherings," Southern Berkshire Regional School District Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis wrote to parents. "Our response has been to closely monitor conditions in our learning settings as we become aware of test results and community metrics."
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MassDOT Warns of Toll-fee Smishing Scam
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation was alerted that a text message-based scam, also known as smishing, is fraudulently claiming to represent tolling agencies from across the country. The scammers are claiming to represent the tolling agency and requesting payment for unpaid tolls.
The targeted phone numbers seem to be chosen at random and are not uniquely associated with an account or usage of toll roads.
Customers who receive an unsolicited text, email, or similar message suggesting it is from EZDriveMA or another toll agency should not click on the link.
EZDriveMA customers can verify a valid text notification in several ways:
The FBI says it has received more than 2,000 complaints related to toll smishing scams since early March and recommends individuals who receive fraudulent messages do the following:
1. File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov; be sure to include:
The phone number from where the text originated.
The website listed within the text
2. Check your account using the toll service's legitimate website.
3. Contact the toll service's customer service phone number.
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