Staff exposure to COVID-19 prompts school closures in Oakland, San Jose

Two Bay Area schools have announced that they are closed for the rest of the week due to concerns that staff members may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus, formally known as COVID-19.

San Jose’s Action Day Primary Plus announced in a letter to parents Thursday that its Moorpark campus would close until Monday out of caution after a teacher at the school tested positive for the virus.

The teacher has not been at work since Feb. 26 and continues to receive medical care, according to a spokeswoman for the school.

Jenna Valadao, school site supervisor and senior director, said in a statement:

“Out of an abundance of caution, and for the safety and well-being of our community, we have closed our Moorpark facility for the remainder of the week to conduct a deep cleaning.”

She added:

“We have been, and will continue to be, in close contact with the Santa Clara County (Public Health Department). Our other nine facilities are not currently impacted and remain open to students and staff.”

The Oakland Unified School District’s superintendent’s office also announced Wednesday that Aspire Monarch Academy will close Thursday and Friday to determine the risk factor of a teacher who may have been exposed to the virus.

The exposure has yet to be confirmed but the school “elected to take a conservative approach,” according to the district.

District officials also said they are preparing contingency plans depending on the recommendations from local public health officials, including potentially canceling large gatherings, extracurricular gatherings, field trips and temporarily closing a school or multiple schools. Public health officials have not advised the district to take such steps, to this point.

Santa Clara County public health officials have confirmed 20 cases of novel coronavirus as of Thursday. Alameda County has seen at least one confirmed case of the virus, to date, in Berkeley.