COVID Case Closes Irvington’s Dows Lane School

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December 6, 2020

By Barrett Seaman—

On Sunday, after learning that a member of the Dows Lane Elementary School community had tested positive for COVID-19, Irvington District Superintendent Dr. Kris Harrison announced that Dows Lane would close for the next two weeks.

On the same day, a member of the Irvington High School community also tested positive, but in-class teaching there will continue.

In both cases, students and staff known to have come in contact with the infected individuals are being notified and required to quarantine for 14 days, following state-mandated protocols. They were to be notified by phone on Sunday night.

The difference, explained Dr. Harrison, is that Dows Lane has had overlapping cases requiring quarantines that “place us in a position where we cannot adequately staff the school,” he said in a message to The Hudson Independent. “This coupled with a dramatic shortage of substitute teachers has left us, like many other districts, in a truly fragile position operationally.”

Dows Lane will go to all remote learning until December 21^st.

“As with all confirmed cases of the virus,” Dr. Harrison wrote in a message to the school community, “the District has reported the matter to the Department of Health. We remain vigilant in the implementation of all NYS required health and safety protocols, which includes the cleaning of our facilities. Please continue to act responsibly and do your part by practicing those actions that will keep you and others healthy.”

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