There is another case of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 at H.B. Whitehorne Middle School. Superintendent Dr. Rui Dionisio disclosed the case in an email this afternoon, which did not indicate whether the infected person was a student or a staff member. HBW had four positive COVID cases in October.
Dionisio’s email said that the Montclair Health Department is in the process of notifying any individual who was identified as being a close contact with the positive individual to self quarantine and monitor symptoms. He said that all exposed areas in HBW have been disinfected and that there is no need to close the school.
There have now been COVID cases at every Verona public school except Brookdale Avenue elementary school. Last week, the Verona High School football team was put on quarantine and its season ended after someone associated with the team tested positive. All schools remain open in a hybrid learning mode that has most students learning from home on any given day.
According to Essex County, Verona has now had 270 positive COVID cases since the start of the pandemic, and 15 deaths. The number of positive cases in Verona has risen almost 29% since the start of November, after a 26% increase in cases in October.
