Paramus Schools Alter COVID Policies As Transmission Rises

PARAMUS, NJ — The New Jersey Department of Health released the latest COVID-19 Activity Level Report on Thursday, which brought unwelcome news to the state. COVID-19 transmission risk levels have risen to high, which will also bring changes to Paramus Schools protocol.

Superintendent Sean Adams released a letter to the school community over the weekend announcing changes related to the regional risk level.

Though the district will continue to host in-person events, administrators said the district will begin "strictly" enforcing six-feet distancing rules between visitors and spectators from different households.

These rules will be enforced at events like athletic games, student performances and in-person Board of Education meetings.

Though the plan is to continue hosting in-person events, the district did say that some postponements could be possible.

"These safety protocols may cause certain events, such as elementary school concerts, to be postponed or otherwise restructured depending on space limitations within the buildings. Any schedule changes will be communicated to families by the individual building principal," the district said.

Changes are also coming to the district's quarantine protocols.

Students who've been identified as a close contact through school contact tracing now must quarantine for a full 14 days from the last exposure to a COVID-19 positive person, the district said.

There will be no option to reduce the timeframe with a negative test, but students will still be able to participate in class through virtual learning.

The Department of Health is reporting 543 new student cases of COVID-19 in Bergen County schools, as well as 112 new cases among staff across all reporting schools.