• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Douglas Elliman, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Contribute
  • Subscribe
  • Eat
  • Wellesley Square
  • School news
  • Private schools, sponsored by Riverbend
  • Public Schools, sponsored by Sexton
  • Camp
  • Kids—swim tryouts Oct. 1
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Business news
  • Embracing diversity
  • Letters to the editor
  • Guidelines for letters to the editor
  • Fire & police scanner
  • Worship
  • Live gov’t meetings
  • Events
  • About us
  • Wellesley snow plowing services
 
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Wellesley High CSI (COVID-19 Scene Investigation): Main office a hotspot

November 21, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley Public Schools (WPS), the Health Department, and Facilities Management Department joined forces on an investigation into a recent cluster of COVID-19 cases at the high school and determined that changes are needed in the main office space.

raider sculpture at wellesley highWPS and the Health Department said in a joint statement that: “The team concluded that the origin of the transmission of a large number of cases was the main office area and recommended a number of additional mitigation measures, including reducing the density of individuals in this area, better defining one-way entrance/egress, increasing air circulation, and modifying the use of plexiglass dividers.  This last finding was both surprising and important for us, as our test of air circulation in this area using smoke devices clearly showed that in several cases, plexiglass dividers, when coupled with side panels, significantly impeded air circulation.”

We’ve heard that other town departments have been hungry for this sort of detail to help determine whether they should be reconsidering their own COVID-19 precautions. But up until now, WPS hadn’t made clear at least publicly where within the school population cases were coming from. Now it has revealed that “the majority of WPS cases have involved adult members of the school community,” though adds that student cases are rising at the secondary level (no student cases have been reported at the elementary school level).

WPS. Supt. Dr. David Lussier vowed this past week that forensic efforts would be made to determine possible COVID-19 protocol issues.

As outlined in the memo issued on Saturday, “This included a review of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems and air circulation, mapping movement patterns and locations of work stations, cleaning protocols, and many other areas of daily operations.”

Mitigation steps will be taken before school reconvenes in person after Thanksgiving, and other school and town buildings will be reviewed as well. Baseline testing is also being planned for the high school community before everyone returns. WHS went all remote at least temporarily when the recent COVID-19 cluster emerged.


  • Subscribe to Swellesley’s daily email
  • Please consider contributing to Swellesley to sustain our independent journalism venture

Download (PDF, Unknown)

Filed Under: COVID-19, Education, Health, Wellesley High School

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisements:

Linden Square, Wellesley
Wonderful Wellesley

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Advertisements

Wellesley Square
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Fay School, Southborough
Sexton test prep, Wellesley
Feldman Law
Wellesley Theatre Project
Wellesley Scouts
Volvo
Prepped and Polished Boston Tutoring and Test Prep
Tutoring, Ann-Marie MacDonnell
Cheesy Street Grill
Admit Fit, Wellesley
Mature Caregivers
charles river chamber
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Subscribe to our email newsletter

Fill out simple subscription form.

Our newsletter is free, though we appreciate any financial support for our independent journalism venture.

Follow Swellesley on Google News Showcase

The Swellesley Report has been selected to be highlighted on Google News Showcase. Please follow us there.

Most Read Posts

  • Don't miss the Wellesley fun—Sidewalk Sale; Crafts for Kids; Car Wash fundraiser; Fiske Western Round-Up
  • Wellesley residents ready for Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk
  • Wellesley making moves to comply with MBTA Communities multifamily zoning rules
  • Wellesley Municipal Light Plant urges customers to cut back during expected Thursday demand peak
  • Wellesley Public Schools shares sneak peek at 2023-2024 enrollment numbers

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Upcoming Events

Sep 13
8:30 am - 12:15 pm

Opening day—Schofield School Shoppers Corner

Sep 13
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Newton-Wellesley Hospital hosting Purple Flag Event

Sep 17
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Building a Better Wellesley meeting with guest Tom Taylor, Planning Board chair

Sep 20
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

“Navigating Artistic Perils” with Leslie Graff

Sep 21
4:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s 60th anniversary celebration

View Calendar

Recent Comments

  • Kim Mahoney on At chaotic meeting, Wellesley Planning Board votes to put Sisters of Charity article on Special Town Meeting warrant
  • Jim Roberti on At chaotic meeting, Wellesley Planning Board votes to put Sisters of Charity article on Special Town Meeting warrant
  • Bruce on A rare peek inside Hunnewell Estate in Wellesley
  • Julia on Where is Swellesley? We asked 3 AI tools
  • Steven Sims on But wait, what about pickleball?

Links we like

  • Danny's Place
  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group
Call and Haul, Wellesley
Refined Renovations, Wellesley
Deland, Gibson, Wellesley
Rick Cram, leader

© 2023 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login