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Saranac Lake school bus driver tests positive for COVID-19

(Provided photo — Dave Werner)

SARANAC LAKE — A Saranac Lake Central School District bus driver has tested positive for COVID-19.

SLCSD Superintendent Diane Fox made the announcement with a robocall to every student’s home between 7 and 7:15 p.m. Tuesday. She said the bus driver who tested positive last worked on Friday.

On Monday, the district began full home-remote schooling as a precaution with COVID-19 cases surging in the local area and nationwide.

“I know you would like me to be more specific, but I cannot share identifying information,” Fox said in the robocall.

She said contact tracers from the Franklin County Public Health department will contact everyone who may have had contact with that driver, and that more information will be forthcoming.

Reached Tuesday night, Fox said this is definitely the first positive COVID-19 test in a district employee or student since school began this fall. She didn’t remember one from the spring, either.

She said the fact that Franklin County Public Health is the investigating agency does not necessarily mean Essex County residents are off the hook. She said the district reached out to Franklin County first because it occupies the largest portion of the district, and Franklin County took on the task.

She said the coronavirus’ impact on school has been stressful lately.

“There were people who believed that moving to fully remote was not the right decision,” she said. “There were also a lot of people who thought going to fully remote was the right decision. I’ve heard from both camps. I just want people to know that a lot of thought went into that decision.”

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