Valley Stream Central H.S. staffer tests positive for Covid-19, district says

The Valley Stream Central High School District has reported another coronavirus case among its staffers, this time at Central High School. 

In a letter posted to the district website on Wednesday, Schools Superintendent Dr. Bill Heidenreich said the staff member had notified the district themselves, and that the report had not come from an official source. They were last in school on March 12, he said, and because of federal privacy laws were not identified. 

It is the third positive case of Covid-19 reported among Central High School district staff. On March 12 a Memorial Junior High School staff member said they had tested positive for the virus, and on March 20 the Department of Health confirmed a South High School staffer had also been infected.

Heidenreich said that in talks with the school physician, many more cases are likely to emerge, with most being mildly symptomatic. 

“It seems clear that COVID-19 is widely dispersed in the region at this stage, as the school district is not the only local entity that is hearing from individuals who have tested positive,” he said. 

The news comes as the number of positive coronavirus cases in Nassau County had reached more than 3,900 by Thursday with 19 deaths attributed to the outbreak. 

Heidenreich advised that students, parents and staff members alike to continue to follow procedures to slow the spread of the virus, which include keeping six feet of distance between each other, frequent hand washing and sanitizing of household items and surfaces, and to be mindful of symptoms, most notably fever, and to contact your healthcare provider should they emerge.