Point Beach Middle School Teams Pause Practices In COVID-19 Surge

Point Pleasant NJ

14 December, 2021

10:36 AM

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POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ — The Point Pleasant Beach school district has temporarily paused its middle school boys basketball and wrestling programs as the district confronts a surge in COVID-19 cases, the district superintendent confirmed Tuesday. Superintendent William Smith said the school district has seen an increase in positive COVID-19 tests among students and staff "similar to most of the Ocean and Monmouth County school districts following the Thanksgiving break." "We recently quarantined close contacts on our middle school wrestling and boys basketball programs due to potential exposure during unmasked indoor competition and practice. The effect of these quarantines has been a temporary pause of the two programs," Smith said. According to the schedule posted by the Shore Conference, those programs are paused until after winter break. The district has about 750 students enrolled in its two schools, G. Harold Antrim Elementary and Point Pleasant Beach High School. He did not give an estimate of how many students and staff members are quarantined currently or how many have tested positive. Antrim houses students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Smith said the district is working to keep classrooms open for students and "will continue to respond judiciously to positive cases." "Families are reminded of the important role daily COVID screening plays in minimizing quarantines and COVID-19 transmission," Smith said. "Further, parents are reminded about Governor Murphy's mask-wearing requirement (Executive Order 251) while inside school buildings." Have a news tip? Email [email protected] Follow Point Pleasant Patch on Facebook.