Red Bank Regional High School Goes Virtual As Student Contracts COVID-19

A Red Bank Regional High School student has tested presumptive positive for COVID-19 and the school with hold its classes via the Internet starting tomorrow, March 12, 2019. The school’s Virtual School Insturctional Plan and be found here.

The area Pre-K though 8 schools will remain open and operate normally until further notice.

MMM has learned that the RBR student is a sibling of the 27 year old male Little Silver Resident who tested presumptive positive for the virus on Monday.

Dr. Louis Moore, Superintendent of the regional district which is located in Little Silver, posted the following message on the school’s website this evening:

Joint Statement From District Schools Regarding Response Plan to COVID19

Posted by Dr. Louis Moore on 3/11/2020

This afternoon there was a joint meeting including the Monmouth County Regional Health Commission (MCRHC), personnel from Riverview Medical Center, Little Silver, Shrewsbury, Red Bank Borough, and Red Bank Charter as well as town officials, OEM, police, and a legislative representative. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the newly discovered “presumptive positive” case of COVID-19 at RBR and the proactive plans for our communities for moving forward.

While RBR has shifted to a virtual school plan to continue its instructional program, the PreK – 8 schools will remain open until further notice. The Monmouth County Regional Health Commision will lead a proactive effort to identify “close contacts” of the “presumed positive” RBR student. We are working in conjunction with the local school districts, the MCRHC, and local hospitals who are working directly with local physicians. We expect to have mitigation discussions on a daily basis.

Limiting the impact of COVID-19 will require a shared response from everyone. We will continue to provide updates and information. Families should continue to consult these resources for information and advice.

NJ Department of Health

CDC

NJDOH COVID-19 Hotline: 1-800-222-1222

As this issue is both uncharted and developing, we will continue to provide information as it becomes available.

Senator Declan O’Scanlon

Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) issued the following statement on the news of the high school’s presumptive positive COVID-19 case and subsequent decision to close temporarily:

“We have had a thorough, and exhaustive meeting today with school officials from Red Bank Regional, Shrewsbury, Little Silver, Red Bank, Department of Health, and other health officials including doctors and emergency room technicians. This situation is fluid with new challenges being presented as we go, however we have arrived at a policy informed by all of the information available to us from our school and health officials. There was a single Red Bank Regional student whose test has returned presumptive positive. RBR is going to close temporarily until further notice—the sending districts will remain open—but there will be ongoing monitoring and investigation of any students who may have come into contact with the presumptive positive student. We are maintaining continuous coverage of the situation on the ground.

“I want to stress that this is a responsible decision by local officials, based on every piece of information currently available and with the advice and recommendations from medical officials, physicians and Health Commission officials that I fully stand by. Further we will continue to communicate and need folks not to panic. We believe we are making the best health decisions based on all of the facts before us. We are being highly proactive and doing the work that the public would hope is being done. Residents should be reassured that all of this is going on in real time.”