Utica, NY – The Whitesboro school district returned to in-person classes today following exposure to Covid-19 from a dance competition that forced distance learning on Tuesday.
“We will resume personal learning on Wednesday, April 21, for all students who are not under a mandatory quarantine or isolation protocol,” said the website of the district, one of the largest in Oneida County.
Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said 20 students from multiple school districts tested positive after the match in Syracuse over the weekend, and 300 students were quarantined. Picente has not broken down how many students came from each affected district.
He said some students from a local dance school attended the competition on Saturday, even while showing symptoms of Covid-19.
“This is our largest cluster, our fastest cluster, and we have been in it for a year,” Picente said at a press conference on Tuesday. “If 300 people are quarantined, people will have to stay home from work, close some businesses and close schools.”
The students who tested positive ranged from 6 to 17 years old.
County officials declined to name the dance school or competition.
No one in Onondaga County has been quarantined, spokesman Justin Sayles said Tuesday.
“We understand that (Oneida County officials) are still conducting their investigation, so this is a highly evolving situation,” Sayles said.