November 4, 2020
Dear Staff, Students, and Families,
This is to inform the Mount Vernon community of a situation at Mount Vernon Elementary School that resulted in the decision to have MTVES staff work remotely Wednesday, Nov. 4th and deep clean the entire building.
On Friday, October 30 we had a water testing vendor at Mount Vernon Elementary school who entered the school and signed into the main office. (Mount Vernon’s water supply is an onsite well and as such we have mandated annual testing requirements.) The person was wearing a mask, used hand sanitizer, as well as followed social distancing guidelines then proceeded to go to the kitchen to collect the required sample and then signed out in the office. The person was in the building for less than 15 minutes and followed all of our protocols as mentioned earlier. The person called our Facilities Director this morning, November 4 and informed him that he had tested positive for covid. It was decided to be extra cautious given the rising number of cases in our area to have all MTVES staff work remotely today. The building is being deep cleaned by a custodial crew and the school will reopen tomorrow, November 5 to all staff and students.
We are informing you out of an abundance of caution. Please monitor yourself/your student for signs and symptoms. Call a health care provider if symptoms start. It is important that you call a healthcare facility before you show up in person. Stay home if you are sick. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that ranges from mild to severe. It can be more severe in adults 60 years and older and in those with underlying conditions. The virus mainly spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes and an uninfected person breathes in the virus.
Questions can be directed to the building principal or the school nurse by calling Mount Vernon Elementary School at 293-2261. For general COVID-19 questions, dial 211 (or 1-866-811-5695). You can also text your ZIP code to 898-211 or email info@211maine.org. Call a health care provider for questions about your symptoms. More information can be found at www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.
Sincerely,
James Charette
Superintendent