A staff member at Conte Community School has tested positive for COVID-19. This news comes on the heels of a warning from the Office of Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer about a recent spike in COVID-19 cases that are being attributed to large gatherings. City of Pittsfield health officials have reported 46 new positive COVID-19 cases in the city over the past couple of weeks.  

According to a press release from Pittsfield Public Schools, the school district in partnership with the City of Pittsfield Department of Health was notified that the staff member at Conte had tested positive. 

The confirmed case involves a staff member that was most recently physically in attendance at the Conte Community School facilities this past Friday, November 6th. While the situation is evolving, the school officials say that they are following protocols and guidance from the CDC, DPH, DESE, MassGov, and other public officials.  

The Pittsfield Department of Health has reached out to each staff and family member that has been identified as potentially being in close contact with the infected individual. School officials says that via the school district and tracing protocols, information related to specific circumstances, action steps, requirements, and recommendations, have been communicated – and will continue to be communicated – to any Conte Community School staff and students identified as potentially being in close contact with the infected individual 

In line with guidance via collaborating agencies, the Pittsfield Public Schools will not be closing the entire school. Students and staff in the affected classroom will participate in remote learning through November 20th. 

Per the Pittsfield Public Schools established protocols, all areas of the building that the individual accessed in the days preceding their positive test result were being thoroughly cleaned, and disinfected before the start of school today (Monday). All buses were thoroughly sanitized on Friday as part of regularly established protocols. 

The Pittsfield Public Schools will continue to monitor community absentee rates, reports of illness, and test positivity daily incidence rate metrics, to determine if school closure or in-person education initiatives require modification at Conte Community School. 

School officials say that out of abundance of caution, and in addition to previous communications with specific students and staff identified through contact tracing, they are making the entire community aware of the confirmed case. 

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