Watkins Glen moves to remote instruction

WATKINS GLEN--In the daily update, Monday, Nov. 2, Schuyler County Public Health announced there were eight additional new COVID-19 cases in the county, including a student at Watkins Glen Elementary School. On Sunday, Nov. 1, Watkins Glen Central School District Superintendent Greg Kelahan sent a letter to parents and students informing them of the decision to transition to full remote instruction.
"We were notified of two COVID-19 positive cases in school-one staff member in the elementary school and one student in the high school," the prepared statement said. "Through contact tracing by the Schuyler County Public Health Office, 11 additional staff members have been identified for quarantine this week. To provide the safest possible environment, we will need to move to a remote instruction model for this entire week. All instruction will be provided to students at home this week. We are scheduled to return to on-site instruction on Monday, Nov. 9."
Odessa-Montour's Hanlon Elementary School also transitioned to remote learning through Friday, Nov. 13 after a staff member tested positive. B.C. Cate followed suit Tuesday. The junior/senior high school is still open as usual.
"Contact tracing is still ongoing for a couple of these cases," the health department said Monday. "Contact tracers are working as fast as they can, but given the number of staff and students impacted by recent cases connected to both Watkins and Odessa school districts it will take a couple of days for everyone to receive a phone call. If you have been told by the school that you or your child was exposed, please quarantine at home and answer the phone when the New York State Contact Tracers call."
Schuyler has 31 active cases with 119 recovered.
While the state percent positive number was 1.7 percent, Sunday, local focus zones of Steuben (yellow) and Chemung (orange) were 5.31 percent and 12.73 percent respectively.
"New York is in the midst of a sea of division and a national COVID surge," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. "All around us, the COVID infection rate is going up. You see it in states all across the nation, in countries around the globe, and in contiguous states."