Billerica schools and Shawsheen Tech report latest COVID-19 numbers

After following the lead of Billerica Public Schools when it came to requiring face coverings for the beginning of the school year, Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School Director/Superintendent Dr. Brad Jackson announced the first COVID-19 case numbers on Friday, Sept. 18.

Billerica Public Schools Superintendent Tim Piwowar also released the numbers for each campus in the district via a blog post on Friday.

11 positive cases were reported throughout the Billerica district and four at Shawsheen Tech.

"For the three-week period from Monday, Aug. 27, through Friday, Sept. 17, Shawsheen has had four COVID cases where a student or staff member was COVID-positive and was physically present in school during the period when they could transmit the virus to others," Jackson wrote.   

More:Shawsheen Tech Director/Superintendent Dr. Brad Jackson's letter to families

He added from those four cases, 66 close contacts were identified. Of these 66, 44 were vaccinated individuals who could remain in school and were only required to monitor their symptoms. 

More:VIDEO: Billerica COA hosts community vaccine clinic

"The remaining 22 close contacts agreed to participate in the state-approved 'Test and Stay' program, which requires them to report directly to Shawsheen’s Medical Treatment Room by 7:15 a.m. each morning and be tested for COVID-19 for a case-specific number of days," Jackson said. "As of today, all 22 of the individuals who were tested, or are currently being tested, each morning have tested negative and were allowed to attend school, while carefully monitoring their symptoms.  Based on all of this information, we are confident that we have had no in-school transmissions to date, this school year."

All 1,340 Shawsheen students are back in the building this year, according to Jackson.

The Tech's incoming class of 2025 will be one of the largest, the second class of 360 students the school has admitted.

Piwowar also confirmed there have been zero cases transferred through in-school contact since Thursday, Sept. 16.

More:Billerica Public Schools Superintendent Tim Piwowar's Blog

As of Wednesday, Aug. 25, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to allow Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley to require masks through at least Friday, Oct. 1.

After that, middle and high schools would be allowed to lift their mask mandates for vaccinated students and staff, but only if at least 80% of students and staff in that school building are vaccinated. Unvaccinated students and staff would still be required to wear masks.

More:Face masks are required, but Billerica and Shawsheen's first days go off without a hitch

Piwowar encouraged families to check new COVID-19 information on positive COVID-19 each week on Tuesdays and Fridays. Updates will be ready to read by 4 p.m. 

The data will be available on the district's website on Piwowar's blog, on the district's Facebook page, and on the district's Twitter feed.  

The town's Board of Health also hosted a second vaccine clinic aimed at children ages 12 and above on Friday, Sept. 17, prior to the first home, football game at Billerica Memorial High School.