Barrington High School officials confirmed that a freshman at the school has tested positive for COVID-19.

BHS Principal Joe Hurley sent an email to parents of all high school students on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 22, sharing the information.

"Every person who had close contact with the person with COVID-19 received a call from RIDOH (Rhode Island Department of Health) with information and instructions about quarantine," stated the email. "If you were not contacted by RIDOH, your child/you were not in close contact. Close contacts must quarantine (stay at home) for 14 days after the day they were in close contact with the person with COVID-19."

Barrington schools reopened last week — the majority of students are doing in-person learning, while between 20 and 25 percent of students are doing distance learning.

School officials have instituted a series of measures to limit the potential spread of the virus. Among the safety measures are rules requiring students to wear masks all day while in class; students at the elementary school level have plastic partitions around their desks; class sizes have been trimmed in half at the middle and high schools; and students are not allowed to talk during lunch and snack periods.

The email from Mr. Hurley further stated: "Even if a person is not a close contact, all staff and students should watch for symptoms of COVID-19. Symptoms of COVID-19 can include a cough, fever and chills, muscle and body aches, headache, runny nose or stuffy nose, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, and recent loss of taste or smell. Children usually experience symptoms that are milder than adults…

"The classrooms, bathrooms, and other spaces used by the students and staff will be cleaned before students/staff return in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."