Hanover High School Health Update 4/14/21
After discussions with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Epidemiologist, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Hanover Public Health Nurse, the decision has been made to resume in-person learning at Hanover High School on Thursday, April 15th. Our normal in-person schedule and routines will be in place for tomorrow.
As you are aware, over the past two weeks, we have identified several high school students who tested positive for COVID-19. Some of those are connected to both HHS and private athletic programs. We have worked through this situation, and anyone who was identified as a close contact has been notified and the remaining students have been tested and cleared to return.
Additionally, we received reports of large social events over the weekend. To date, we have no direct knowledge that any infectious person or persons attended any of those gatherings; however, whenever there is a community spread of COVID-19, any large social gathering is considered a high-risk activity. We have been able to identify several students who attended these events, and those students have been given quarantine and testing instructions. Additional students have self-identified and registered for testing on their own. All students who have been confirmed to have been present have been asked to quarantine for the rest of the week as well.
If you are a student or a parent of a student who may have attended a large social gathering over the past weekend and have not yet been tested, we ask that you/your child remain at home for the remainder of the week and register for a test, either through your school nurse or through the school website.
Those who voluntarily provide information to the school nurse in the interest of public health will remain confidential. Our goal is to remain in school safely and keep COVID-19 out of our schools as much as possible.
Please remain vigilant in following the established protocols to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community: avoid large gatherings, keep your social interactions small, wear a mask in public, and maintain social distancing as much as possible. Above all, if you feel ill, even mildly, stay home from school and contact your school nurse for direction. If you feel you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or if you have attended a high-risk activity such as traveling out of state or attending a party, please stay home, call your school nurse, and get tested. Testing services will be available during school vacation week. View and register for testing.
We are depending on our students and families to help us keep our schools open. We ask for your support, patience, and cooperation to ensure we finish this school year together and that we all stay safe.
Thank you, and have a safe, happy, and healthy school vacation week.
Matthew J. Paquette
Principal
Patricia H. Smith, BSN, RN, NCSN
Director of Health Services