UPDATE: Three Island Schools Closed
Closures due to sickness, staffing shortages
BAR HARBOR—Mount Desert Island High School, Conners-Emerson School, and Pemetic Elementary School won’t be open tomorrow, Friday, December 16.
According to Superintendent of Schools Michael Zboray,
“This week we have seen a significant increase in the number of students and staff who have been absent due to respiratory illness, flu-like symptoms. Staffing levels at the school are to the point of concern regarding appropriate student supervision.”
Zboray mentioned the possibility of closures at an AOS Board meeting earlier this week. Conners Emerson School in Bar Harbor closed for the same reason this past Monday.
“We have been in continuous communication with the Maine CDC due to our outbreak status, and it is their recommendation that our school buildings be closed for a period of 3 days in order to help break this cycle of illness. This will allow our custodial team time to disinfect and deep clean our buildings and give our staff and students time to rest and recover,” Zboray wrote.
The increase in illness and absences is substantial at MDI schools, but the island is not the only place seeing an uptick in sickness.
A NYT newsletter released early Monday morning said that “Covid no longer plays the dominant role that it once did in most of our lives. But the risk of Covid—and other viruses—persists.”
It also states that Covid-related deaths and hospitalizations have increased in the past couple of weeks. Flu cases have also increased. R.S.V. cases may have peaked.