A current foodborne outbreak has caused the closure of school buildings for at least two weeks in Camden County, NJ.

On May 6, the district’s employees experienced symptoms of foodborne illness after attending a luncheon catered by an outside vendor.

As of the posting of this article, the exact pathogen is still unknown. However, the Camden County Department of Health has stated that they suspected the pathogens could be highly contagious.

The Waterford Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in prekindergarten through sixth grade.

On May 10, the district’s Superintendent, Brenda Harring, sent a letter to the parents of students at Waterford Township School District explaining that more than 60 percent of the school’s staff members that participated in the luncheon became ill and are continuing to recover.

Because of the district’s inability to properly staff the school, the school switched to an asynchronous day of instruction.

The incident was reported to the Camden County Department of Health and the Waterford Township Police Department for further investigation.

At the recommendation of the district physician, all school buildings will be closed for two weeks.

Harring said she expects to reopen the buildings Monday, May 24.

During this time, the schools will undergo a thorough cleaning and sanitization process to help stop the spread of any foodborne germs and illnesses.