October 14, 2020 -- 

Dear Parents,

We were informed this afternoon by the Public Health Nurse that a student at Blake Middle School has tested positive for Covid-19. It's important to note that this student did not participate with in-person classes during their infectious period, which is defined by the Massachusetts Department of Health as 48 hours before the beginning of symptoms. Because of this, there are no in-school close contacts and no evidence of "school spread" of the virus. All community close contacts have already been identified and contacted.

Though we cannot provide specific information about the student who tested positive, if you have not been contacted, your child was not a close contact with the affected student. See the definition of a close contact below:

What is a close contact?: Per Massachusetts DPH, if a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, their close contacts will be defined as only those who have been within 6 feet of the individual for at least 15 minutes, while the person was infectious.  All close contacts should be tested but must self-quarantine for 14 days after the last exposure to the person who tested positive, regardless of the test result. 

Our students and staff will continue to adhere to the safety protocols during school and during after-school activities including mask-wearing, hand washing, and physical distancing. We are grateful for the continued vigilance of our families as your efforts, coupled with the school safety measures continue to help reduce the risk of transmission in Medfield. It is critical that families whose students/family members test positive for COVID-19 report the results to our school nurses and the Medfield Health Department.

Sincerely,

Jeff Marsden