Francis Lewis was forced to shut down part of the school on Friday, October 16 due to a confirmed positive COVID case. Dr. Marmor sent an email on Friday afternoon to confirm news that a member of the school community who is in the Wednesday Yellow Pod tested positive for COVID-19. Teachers and students of the Wednesday Yellow Pod will have to quarantine for 14 days before returning to school.  These students and teachers will transition into full remote learning and teaching for this duration. At this time, this is the only confirmed case at Francis Lewis High School. 

Francis Lewis High School had implemented a plan for students enrolled in hybrid learning to come in once a week ranging from Mondays to Thursdays.  In addition, each student is assigned a pod or a section of the school that they go to on their assigned day.  This plan permits only teachers and students within the pod to be quarantined and allows other pods to continue to function when there is a confirmed case within the school community.  

While the Francis Lewis community will continue to do their part, the New York City Test Trace Corps and New York City of Health will launch an investigation.  This investigation will entail identifying and notifying who the student came into close contact prior to the confirmation of COVID.  

The building will not close until there is another confirmed positive COVID case from either a student or a teacher in the community.

This is a developing story.