PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Presque Isle High School told staff and parents in a letter that an individual associated with the school had tested positive for COVID-19. This marks the first known case of the virus to be reported in School Administrative District 1.
The letter did not identify whether the individual was a student or staff member, and did not state the person’s name out of respect for privacy concerns. The letter said that the individual had not been at the high school for the past week prior to testing positive on Oct. 30.
SAD 1 Superintendent Ben Greenlaw said there was no potential exposure to any student or staff member that would require further quarantines.
“The Maine CDC has notified us that there are no “close contacts” or any individuals who will need to quarantine since the individual who tested positive for the coronavirus was not at school during their infectious period,” Greenlaw wrote. “Therefore, no students or staff members at Presque Isle High School were exposed to the individual with the coronavirus while at school.”
Greenlaw urged staff, students and parents to adhere to recommended CDC guidelines. COVID cases have begun steadily rising once again in the United States, with almost 100,000 cases reported on Oct. 30, the highest number of cases in a single day up to that point.
“We are notifying the community in an effort to eliminate any misinformation and to take the opportunity to reinforce the importance of wearing masks and face coverings, washing hands, and maintaining social distancing,” he wrote. “This is a challenging time in our state and nation. Please continue to take the necessary precautions against the coronavirus in order to reduce the spread of the disease.”
