The Department of Education says social distancing protocols that were put into place to prevent situations like this were not followed, which is why such a high number of staff members had to self-quarantine.
The DOE released a statement Thursday saying,
"Our strict safety protocols immediately identified a positive case at IS 51 and a Test + Trace investigation quickly identified close contacts. Our social distancing protocols, which were unfortunately not followed by school staff, are designed to prevent this scenario and this will be addressed. It takes the cooperation of everyone working together and closely following safety rules to stop the spread. With citywide transmission hovering at or below one percent, we can stop the spread if commonsense precautions are taken by all."
RELATED: Stay informed with ABC7's NYC COVID-19 positivity rate tracker
There were no students in the building when the contact when the positive case happened.
Sources tell Eyewitness News district workers are now filling the open slots.
New York City schools, including IS 51, will fully open Wednesday and Thursday.
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