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Two days after Verona High School’s extracurricular activities were postponed, the district announced Wednesday that activities can resume later this week.
In a letter sent to parents and guardians late Wednesday, Verona Public Schools announced that an investigation from the Montclair Department of Health concluded and activities are safe to resume.
In the letter, Supt. Rui Dionisio also specified that details relating to the investigation will not be made public.
The halt began Sunday when the school district became aware of a large weekend gathering that included Verona High School students that were not socially distant and not wearing face coverings. The gathering was rumored to include at least one person that may have tested positive for COVID-19.
The district was unable to identify the number of students from the school that may have been involved, prompting the shutdown of activities to limit a potential spread. All extracurricular activities, including marching band, athletics and other after school clubs, were all halted on Monday, announced in a letter to parents from Dionisio.
Dionisio’s letter explained that activities would be halted for 14 days until Sept. 28. This put activities, especially athletics, in jeopardy for the start of the season. Verona’s football team, which went 12-0 last year and won the North, Group 2 state title, is scheduled to begin its 2020 season at Caldwell on Oct. 3.
That decision was not well-received, particularly by those near the football team. Parents called asking for an explanation as to why such a swift move was made. Parents and students, including a majority of the football team, protested Tuesday outside of the high school. Cars driving by the school honked in support of the protests.
Protestors believed that those who had practiced social distancing should not be punished for those who had violated policies. The Verona football team had been in touch with administrators as far back as May to keep its team and staff safe. The Hillbillies went through phases laid out by the NJSIAA without issue during summer workouts.
“We have a responsibility to take all necessary measures to ensure that we keep our community safe,” Dionisio said in Wednesday’s letter. “As a school and a community we will continue to be diligent as we navigate this public health crisis.”
Robert Aitken is a high school sports reporter for NorthJersey.com. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis from our Varsity Aces team, subscribe today. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter and download our app.
Email: aitken@northjersey.com Twitter: @robertaitkenjr
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