Student at Grand Ave. Middle School in Bellmore tests positive for COVID-19

Multiple coronavirus cases emerge in Bellmore-Merrick school districts

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Several cases of COVID-19 have emerged in Bellmore and Merrick’s high school and elementary school districts in the last week, according to letters from superintendents, including one Grand Avenue Middle School student who tested positive.

On March 26, Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District Superintendent John DeTommaso announced in a letter to parents that the Nassau County Department of Health informed the district that the Grand Avenue student had tested positive. The student, who was not identified, did not display symptoms until a week after the state’s mandated school closures, but has fully recovered, according to the letter.

The school community’s first positive case was self-reported by a Calhoun High School staffer, who notified the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District on March 19. Subsequent self-reported staff member cases emerged in:

- The Merrick School District at Lakeside Elementary School, according to Superintendent Dominick Palma.

- The North Bellmore School District at John G. Dinkelmeyer Elementary School, according to Superintendent Marie Testa.

- The North Merrick School District at Camp Avenue Elementary School, according to Superintendent Cynthia Seniuk.

Each letter mirrored the same message: as more cases begin to appear throughout Nassau County school districts, residents should take precaution by maintaining social distancing, washing their hands and regularly checking for symptoms such as a cough or fever. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms may start to appear two to 14 days after exposure. Anyone who is experiencing any symptoms are advised by health authorities to contact a physician or the New York State Department of Health’s hotline at (888) 364-3065.