Spouse of employee at elementary school in Edenton tests positive for COVID-19

Edenton-Chowan Schools announced Thursday night the spouse of an employee of D.F. Walker Elementary School who lives outside Chowan County has tested positive for COVID-19.

The announcement came just hours after Albemarle Regional Health Services confirmed that a man from Pasquotank County had been the first person in northeastern North Carolina to test positive for the coronavirus.

Federal health and state employee regulations prohibit the identity of the person who tested positive or the employee from being released.

According to a statement from Edenton-Chowan Schools Superintendent Rob Jackson, the employee has not been in the building since Monday.

“Upon receiving notification late this afternoon, we immediately contacted the Health Department, Emergency Management and the local hospital,” Jackson said. “We immediately shut down the campuses of D.F. Walker and White Oak Elementary Schools.”

Students grades 3 through 5 attend D.F. Walker, while kindergartners through second graders are at White Oak. Both schools are located next door to each other north of the Town of Edenton.

Recommended guidelines for cleaning from the CDC have been followed since the concerns over COVID-19 began arising earlier this month, Jackson noted.

All Edenton-Chowan school campuses will be closed on Friday and Monday for all employees and staff members out of an abundance of caution, and meal service will be suspended until Tuesday, March 24.

“We will continue to notify the public, work with the Health Department and Emergency Management, and take responsive measures as appropriate,” Jackson said. “Thank you for your help and cooperation as, together, we work to protect the health of our students, teachers, staff, and our community.”

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