A Princeton Unified Middle School staff member and a contractor doing work at the school have both tested positive for COVID-19 in what Princeton Public Schools administrators say are unrelated cases.
District administrators notified parents and staff members of the positive tests by email on Sept. 2.
The Princeton Health Department has been in touch with individuals who have had prolonged contact with the middle school staff member and with the contractor.
There is no known connection between the two cases, district administrators said. They said the transmission appeared to be isolated cases that did not originate in the middle school.
“From what I have been told by the Princeton Health Department, these were two isolated incidents,” Interim Superintendent of Schools Barry Galasso said.
“It is my understanding that our employee did not contract COVID-19 from the contractor. We will not have any school district personnel working in that building until Sept. 8 and we are doing everything that has been recommended by the health authorities,” Galasso said.
The middle school has been under construction and very few staff members have been in the building. No students have been in the building. The staff member who tested positive will continue to be monitored and has self-quarantined for 14 days, district administrators said.
Galasso said he did not expect any changes to the reopening schedule at the Princeton Unified Middle School as a result of the staff member’s positive test for COVID-19.
School district staff members have been training remotely in anticipation of the district’s virtual (remote) opening on Sept. 14.