Bell Middle School Notification - October 15, 2020

Dear Bell Middle School Community,

We have received notification today that an individual who is a member of the Bell school community has tested positive for COVID-19. Please note that this person has not been in the building since October 9, 2020, and was not infectious at that time. As required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, we must maintain this person’s confidentiality, which prevents us from further identifying the individual.

The District has been in contact with the Westchester County Department of Health who has advised that given the current information and the timeline that has passed, there is no need for the District to take further action at this time.

The Westchester County Department of Health has a contact tracing system in place for Westchester County when there is a confirmed case. They work to identify those who have been in close contact with a positive person while they are infectious. Close contact means being within six feet of a person with COVID-19 for more than 10 minutes, or in a room together, such as students / teachers in a classroom. If you are identified as a close contact of the person who tested positive, you will receive a call from a contact tracer. For such calls, your caller ID may read NYS Contact Tracing or display a phone number with a 518 area code. Please answer these calls promptly and provide the Contact Tracers with the information they need which will help to protect us all.

As a reminder, if you believe that at any point you may have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, you should self-quarantine and be tested for COVID-19. Visit the NY State Find a Test Site Near You page and enter your address to view a list of the nearest testing sites. In addition, if you suspect you are becoming ill, you should stay home. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, sore throat, and runny nose. Additional symptoms include muscle pain, fatigue, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea. You should consult with your physician for medical advice in specific cases.

Thank you for your understanding. For more information on COVID-19, please call (866) 588-0195 or visit the Westchester Department of Health homepage.

Sincerely,

Christine Ackerman, PhD
Superintendent of Schools