Dear Watervliet Families,

We learned today, Wednesday, Sept. 30, from the Albany County Department of Health that a member of the Watervliet school community has tested positive for COVID-19. The student is enrolled in our remote learning program and has not been in our buildings this school year.

Please note that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other privacy laws restrict us from disclosing or confirming any personally identifiable information, meaning that we cannot identify anyone who has tested positive.

Individuals who have been in close contact with the remote learner will be directly contacted by the local health department to discuss next steps, such as if they should quarantine or be tested.

The reason we are sharing this information with you is because Watervliet, like all schools in New York state, is required to submit a daily report to the state of any confirmed cases of COVID-19 linked to a school. The COVID-19 Report Card is available to the public on the New York State Department of Health website and includes daily case statistics from schools throughout the state.

While the dashboard is an important tool for identifying trends regionally and statewide, please know that any information regarding COVID-19 in Watervliet schools will be shared with you directly and will not be delayed by these additional reporting requirements.

On the state dashboard, it is especially important to note that for every school district, the state includes a number that is an estimate of “Lab Reported Positives based on Residential Address” as part of its school COVID Report Card. View the NYS COVID-19 Report Card

We continue to work closely with our local health department and follow their guidance.

Sincerely,
Lori Caplan
Superintendent of Schools

(This message was sent to Watervliet families via email through the district’s One Call Now system on 9/30/20.)