L.B. Middle School, pre-K go virtual after Covid spike

Covid-19 swept through the Long Beach School District this week, shutting down in-class learning for middle school and pre-K students, who were moved to remote instruction. More closings are possible.

Schools Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Gallagher said the decision was made because of the high number of staff absences.

The plan was to keep the schools open after the high school went virtual the week before Christmas, on a day-by-day, school-by-school basis. In the case of the middle school and pre-K, the district “truly had no choice,” Gallagher said.

The superintendent said every school has reached a critical point in terms of staffing, and additional buildings may have to go remote in the future.

The high school went virtual the week before Christmas because of staff and student infections. At the time, some 387 students were absent and 100 students and faculty members were in quarantine, most of whom who had not tested positive but were exposed to someone who had.

Long Beach officials said Monday morning that there were 702 new cases of Covid infection in the city during the week ending Dec. 28, the highest seven-day number since the pandemic began in March 2020. The city is following state and county guidelines that mandate the wearing of masks in indoor public space, but Bruce Blakeman, who was sworn in as the new county executive Monday, said he would not enforce the mask requirement in Nassau County. 

According to Gov. Kathy Hochul's office, as of Sunday, Long Island had a 25 percent positivity rate, the highest in the state.

“The confounding part of this latest surge is that it seems to be affecting vaccinated staff as well,” Gallagher said. “If they are vaccinated and test positive, they cannot come to school.”

Gallagher said in a letter Tuesday that the district received a shipment of take-home Covid tests for families. Each family will receive one test kit that contains two tests. There is no requirement to take or use the test, Gallagher said.

Chabad of the Beaches offers numerous classes, events and programs for the Jewish community in the city each week. “There have been a few minor cases,” Rabbi Eli Goodman said. “Thankfully, we haven’t had a major outbreak.”

Goodman said the organization has taken precautions to keep people healthy, noting that the center is large enough “so people can be separated and safe.” There are also designated mask and no-mask areas for people, giving them a choice.

Goodman said he acknowledges some people like to play it extra safe and stay fully virtual, especially when they have family members who cannot get the vaccine or are at high-risk. Despite that, there has only been about a 5 percent drop-off in weekly participation.

Classes are held in person and on Zoom. Goodman said the number of people attending in person and on Zoom is “pretty much split evenly.”

“To insist on one standard for everyone is not good,” Goodman said. “That just doesn’t work.”