The Albany County Department of Health notified Watervliet City School District today, Wednesday, Nov. 18, that a remote learner in our school community has tested positive for COVID-19. The student has not been in either building 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.

The state health department has concluded its contact tracing and has reached out directly to any individuals who have been in close contact with the remote learner to discuss next steps, such as whether they should quarantine and/or be tested.

We are aware that our families may find out about positive cases before we are able to make an official statement; however, we remain committed to being the most accurate source of information for our school community. We will always communicate with you about positive cases in our schools and will do so only after confirming and consulting with the department of health.

You may view daily statistics from schools on the state’s COVID-19 Report Card on the New York State Department of Health website. It is important to note that for every school district, the state dashboard 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 make every effort to keep our schools open and educate our students both in person and remotely during this public health emergency. Our educators, staff, students, and parents have shown a strong commitment to this by adhering to our health and safety protocols (wear face coverings, practice social distancing, wash hands or use hand sanitizer regularly) and performing daily screenings before entering our schools each day.

We continue to work closely with our local health department and follow quarantining procedures on a case-by-case basis. We also will incorporate any new guidance in our daily routines that is recommended by state health officials.

If you have any questions, contact your child’s building principal or the district’s COVID-19 Safety Coordinator Don Stevens by email at dstevens@vlietschools.org.

(This message was sent to WCSD families and staff via email through the district’s One Call Now system on 11/18/20.)