Dear James Hubert Blake High School Community,

This letter is to inform you that we were notified of several positive cases of coronavirus (COVID-19).  That were reported over the weekend or today.

A staff member who was last present at James Hubert Blake High School on Friday, December 10, 2021 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 10th.  We were notified on December 12, 2021 of the positive test. 
A staff member who was last present at James Hubert Blake High School on Friday, December 10, 2021 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 13th.  We were notified on December 13, 2021 of the positive test. 
A 10th grade student who was last present at James Hubert Blake high School on Friday, December 10, 2021 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 10th.  We were notified on Friday, December 10, 2021 of the positive test. 
An 10th grade student who was last present at James Hubert Blake high School on Friday, December 10, 2021 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 10th.  We were notified on December 11, 2021 of the positive test.
A 10th grade student who was last present at James Hubert Blake high School on Thursday, December 9, 2021 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 12th.  We were notified on December 12, 2021 of the positive test.
A 9th grade student who was last present at James Hubert Blake high School on Friday, December 10, 2021 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 11th.  We were notified on December 11, 2021 of the positive test.
An 11th grade student who was last present at James Hubert Blake high School on Thursday, December 9, 2021 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 11th.  We were notified on December 13, 2021 of the positive test.
A 10th grade student who was last present at James Hubert Blake high School on Friday, December 3, 2021 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 7th.  We were notified on December 13, 2021 of the positive test.
A 12th grade student who was last present at James Hubert Blake high School on Friday, December 10, 2021 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 11th.  We were notified on December 13, 2021 of the positive test.
A 12th grade student who was last present at James Hubert Blake high School on Thursday, December 9, 2021 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 10th.  We were notified on December 13, 2021 of the positive test.
An 11th grade student who was last present at James Hubert Blake high School on Friday, December 10, 2021 tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 11th.  We were notified on December 13, 2021 of the positive test.

Per current DHHS guidance and our contact tracing process, unless you are notified directly, your child does not need to quarantine as they were not in close contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19.  Please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/appendix.html#contact for additional information on how the CDC, MCPS and DHHS, defines and identifies close contacts.

We encourage you to closely monitor your child for symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, cough, headache, and shortness of breath. If your child develops any of these symptoms, do not send them to school. You should contact your healthcare provider and have your child tested for COVID-19. Please contact the school if your child develops COVID-19-like symptoms. Students who develop symptoms, or test positive for COVID-19, will not be able to return to the building until they are medically cleared.

As a reminder, here are the steps that we can all take to keep ourselves, families, and school community safe:

Get vaccinated when eligible
Wear a mask, or appropriate face covering, at all times when in school and other public spaces.
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially before and after eating.
Cover your cough and/or sneeze and immediately wash your hands for 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer.
Stay home if you are sick or have any COVID-19 symptoms.

Please visit  https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/coronavirus and https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/ for additional information on COVID-19 resources, including free COVID-19 testing and COVID-19 vaccination sites. 

We appreciate your cooperation as we work to maintain a safe and healthy school environment.