Two Melrose Classrooms Quarantined After Positive COVID Cases

MELROSE, MA — Just a few days into the school year, the Melrose Public School District is in a whirlwind, telling two classrooms to quarantine due to positive coronavirus cases.

The superintendent for Melrose Public Schools, Dr. Julie Kukenberger, said there are seven positive cases in the district, some cases being students, others adults.

"Out of an abundance of caution and because our test and stay program is not yet ready for full implementation, we asked the potentially exposed students to learn from home for the next three days," Kukenberger said in a statement to the community.

Though despite this, on Wednesday Gov. Baker said returning to remote learning full time was not an option for Massachusetts students.

"Schools have a certain number of days baked into their calendar that they are allowed to miss and I think our view at this point is in-person learning is where we should be and where we should stay, and anybody who isn't vaccinated who's eligible should get vaccinated and take advantage of these clinics we've put up," Baker said.

If the students in contact with the positive COVID-19 cases remain asymptomatic and test negative, they will be allowed to return to school by Friday, Sept. 10, Kukenberger added. "The health and well-being of our students and staff remains our number one priority."

In the statement, Kukenberger showed additional details regarding protocols included in the MPS Back-to-School Plan, which can be found here.

On Tuesday, August 24, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to issue new regulations requiring all public school students ages 5 and above, and all staffers, to wear masks indoors while at school.

Those regulations went into effect this school year as a result of the rapidly spreading delta variant continues to drive up case numbers.