COVID Exposure During Holiday Party At Verona Fire Station: OEM – Patch.com

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Several members of the Verona Fire Department were recently exposed to the coronavirus during an unauthorized holiday get-together at a local fire station, authorities said Sunday.

The gathering at Fire Station No. 2 wasn’t cleared by the township, and actions have been taken to ensure similar incidents will not happen in the future, Township Manager Matthew Cavallo stated.

Out of an abundance of caution, the use of Fire Station No. 2 has been temporarily suspended, Cavallo said.

Anyone who may have been exposed directly or indirectly is required to quarantine under Centers For Disease Control and Prevention and New Jersey Department of Health guidelines, Cavallo said.

“The township continues to maintain excellent fire protection for Verona through Fire Station No. 1 and from the establishment of formal mutual aid from neighboring towns,” Cavallo said. “Such arrangements are standard practice when available responding personnel may be limited.”

Cavallo continued:

“The Verona Fire Department is working in conjunction with the Verona Office of Emergency Management, the Township Manager’s Office and the Montclair Health Department on implementing a plan to return to full service. This will include measures to avoid future exposure incidents. Our utmost concern is always the safety of our residents and the members of this department. With these deliberate steps, residents and businesses will remain safe and protected.”

“Please continue to keep in your thoughts our emergency services personnel, healthcare workers, and essential personnel as they must continue to serve our great community,” Cavallo said.

The township manager added that he appreciates the sacrifices local residents are making by limiting the numbers of friends and family members at gatherings in order to maintain the social distancing required to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

On Monday, Verona Superintendent Rui Dionisio offered an update on the situation, which has impacted the local school district.

Dionisio wrote:

“The Montclair Department of Health has been working cooperatively with the Verona Public School District regarding contact tracing related to COVID-19 exposures at the Verona Fire Department that impacted the Verona Public Schools. This decision to shift toward remote learning was necessary and made out of an abundance of caution based on the circumstances involving this holiday gathering in order to obtain more information and prevent the possibility of further community spread. We appreciate your flexibility as these temporary shifts toward remote instruction are necessary to maintain the safety and well-being of your children and our staff while the health department investigates incidents and conducts contact tracing.

“After careful consideration of the circumstances, the Montclair Department of Health has provided the school with a recommendation that in-person learning may resume at all Verona schools effective December 15, 2020 based on the results of this investigation. The District continues to follow the guidelines from the CDC and the State of New Jersey in order to assure the health and safety of our community. It is important to remind everyone that all of our schools are cleaned and sanitized daily.

“In addition, the Montclair Health Department confirmed with the Verona Public Schools on December 14, 2020 that one (1) individual at Henry B. Whitehorne School has tested positive for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The school district is working closely with public health officials and following CDC, state, and local health department guidance in order to ensure the health and safety of our community. The Montclair Health Department is in the process of notifying any individual who is identified as being a close contact with the positive individual to self quarantine and monitor symptoms as a precaution as per the health department guidance.

“District decisions are made in conjunction with members of the administrative team based on guidance of the Montclair Health Department, discussions with our school nurses, and pertinent information from town officials. The District makes every effort to communicate as much information as possible but is limited in what is permitted to be shared which is guided by health department guidance and applicable law. We ask you to do your part and follow all public health guidelines by wearing masks and limiting your interactions in social gatherings so that we can maintain in-person learning for our students and limit the potential of community spread. We need the cooperation of the entire community to be successful in keeping our schools open in a safe manner.”

Dionisio released the following statistics on Monday.

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