Traveled For Thanksgiving? Stay Home: Chelmsford Superintendent

CHELMSFORD, MA — The Chelmsford Superintendent of Schools is asking families who traveled for Thanksgiving or gathered with people outside their household during the holiday to keep their children home from school this week.

"If you traveled in violation of the Commonwealth’s travel orders, gathered with individuals outside your immediate family ...or even potentially exposed yourself or your children to a COVID-19 positive individual over the Thanksgiving break," Superintendent Jay Lang said, "Keep your children home next week and have them participate remotely in their learning to avoid any chance of COVID-19 spread in our school community."

Jay Lang said the schools have been largely successful this fall implementing in-person learning because students and staff have abided by distancing guidelines at home and in school.

And he wants to keep it that way.

"We have not witnessed COVID-19 spread through our schools, rather the positive COVID cases we have experienced have been from contact through family/out-of-school activities," he wrote to families. "When students have been exposed to a COVID positive individual, they have stayed home and quarantined, not further exposing classmates and staff."

As of Nov. 25, some 889 Chelmsford residents tested positive for the coronavirus, up 76 from the week before. Of those, 60 people have died, according to town data.

Between Nov. 19 and Nov. 25, only one person —a hybrid student at Lions Pride Pre-School — tested positive for the coronavirus in a Chelmsford public school.