Monday evening, the Erie’s Public Schools issued the following online letter to its students, families and teachers:
Dear EPS Family,
I hope that this letter finds you well.
In keeping with our promise to be as transparent as possible regarding how the global pandemic is affecting our district, we felt it was important to let you know that a district employee who works at Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy has tested positive for COVID-19. Due to privacy concerns, we will not be sharing the identity of the employee, but please be assured that we are offering that employee the support he or she needs as they recover from the virus. The employee is self-isolating, following the guidance of the Erie County Department of Health and district protocol.
As an immediate response to the report of a positive test result, and to protect the health and safety of our workforce, the District contacted the Erie County Department of Health and undertook additional, targeted efforts to clean and sanitize any areas in which the employee may have worked, including classrooms and restrooms.
It is important to note that in no time did the employee come in contact with students.
Please know that we are doing everything in our power to keep the entire EPS community as safe and healthy as possible. Erie’s Public Schools continues to follow the guidance of our local and state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce the spread of COVID-19. You can help us by doing the following:
- Stay home from school or work if sick.
- Wear a face covering.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue (or sleeve), and then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces that are often touched.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
You can find more information, helpful resources, and answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Erie County Department of Health. Please visit the district’s reopening portal and our Facebook page frequently for all updates regarding the 2020-2021 school year and information about how COVID-19 is impacting our district.
Sincerely,
Brian J. Polito, CPA
Superintendent, Erie’s Public Schools
