COVID

Jamaica Plain school to close for 10 days due to rise in COVID-19 cases

The Curley School has had 46 reported COVID-19 cases so far this year.

The Curley K-8 School in Jamaica Plain. CRAIG F. WALKER/GLOBE STAFF

By Arianna MacNeill

updated on November 10, 2021

COVID CLUSTER:

Cluster of COVID-19 cases breaks through at JP elementary school

The Curley School in Jamaica Plain is closing for 10 days starting Wednesday due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.

The school’s outbreak currently numbers 46, according to The Boston Globe.

“Due to a recent increase in positive cases of COVID-19 at the Curley, across multiple grade levels and classrooms over the last week, the Boston Public Health Commission has advised to close the school for in-person learning,” principal Katie Grassa said in a letter to the community. “This is an active effort to immediately stop the spread and provide time to add staffing capacity to fully implement the test and stay and contact tracing programs.”

School is set to resume in person on Monday, Nov. 22.

Those who have been on campus are being asked to “self-isolate” and stay away from groups, including community events, for five days at least, even if they’re vaccinated, Grassa wrote.

The school district is working on a remote learning plan that is set to be released on Wednesday. Officials are also working to ensure students can get school food while they’re home, she said.

A community meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and will be held virtually on Zoom.

The Curley School includes kindergarten through eighth grade. For the previous school year, enrollment was 913, state data shows.

Last week, the Joseph P. Manning Elementary School in Jamaica Plain confirmed 16 positive cases of the virus, believed to be the highest number for a Boston public school so far this academic year.

Editor’s note: This story has been adjusted to reflect updated data.