10/13: COVID-19 Cases Affect Several Schools in CT

We are several weeks into the school year and some Connecticut school districts have sent students back home due to cases of COVID-19.

As of Monday, the state's COVID-19 positivity rate was 1.4 percent. While some schools have transitioned to full in-person learning, many are hybrid and are allowing students to learn virtually. Due to cases of COVID-19, some schools are closing and switching to remote learning while others are staying open and sending small groups home to quarantine.

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Ansonia

An individual tested positive for COVID-19 at Ansonia Middle School. The person was last inside the district on Oct. 6. Officials have isolated this as specific to two Pre-k classrooms located in the modulars at Ansonia Middle School and to one classroom at Mead School. Under the advisement of the local health department, the three classrooms are being closed for 14 days.

Beacon Falls

An assistant football coach in Region 16 has tested positive for COVID-19, and 26 players who had contact with him were instructed to quarantine, district officials said at the beginning of the month. The student-athletes were tested.

Berlin

A person within the school community tested positive for COVID-19 and was instructed to remain home in self-isolation for 10 days.

This came after two members of the Berlin Public Schools community had tested positive for COVID-19. District officials said the two individuals were last at Griswold Elementary School on Friday, Sept. 18 and that close contacts were identified.

Due to cases of COVID-19 in Hartford County, the superintendent notifies families that they are now planning to remain in a hybrid model at the secondary level through the end of the winter recess.

Bridgeport

Luis Munoz Marin School in Bridgeport is closed through Monday, Oct. 26 and students will participate in remote learning during the closure, and Grab n Go meals will still be available.

East Lyme

East Lyme High School is remote and will reopen on Oct. 22.

East Lyme High School went remote after the school district learned of a case of COVID-19. Learning is remote for East Lyme High School and the school will reopen on Oct. 22. Sports and after school activities at the high school will be suspended. All other buildings are open for students.

A letter from the superintendent on Oct. 4 said contact tracing was done at East Lyme Middle School and Niantic Center School based on last week’s COVID cases.

Fairfield

Fairfield Ludlowe High School in Fairfield has had closures after positive cases of COVID-19 and more than 80 students and staff were in quarantine.

This came after, town officials in Fairfield said as many as 100 people might have to quarantine after six people tied to the high school community tested positive for COVID-19.

On Monday, Oct. 12, the superintendent notified families that an individual at Tomlinson Middle School has tested positive for COVID-19 and there is no need for anyone else at the school to self-quarantine. The school will remain open.

On Friday, school officials said an individual at Fairfield Warde High School has tested positive for COVID-19 and there was no need for anyone else at the school to self-quarantine. The school will remain open.

On Thursday, school officials said a contractor who was working outside at Roger Ludlowe Middle School has tested positive for COVID-19. There was no need for anyone else at the school to self-quarantine and school will remain open.

On the same day, school officials said an at Fairfield Ludlowe High School has tested positive for COVID-19. The individual had not been in the building since Sept. 22.

Glastonbury

Twenty five students and two staff members at Glastonbury Public Schools were in quarantine at the end of September.

Of the students in quarantine, 16 were from Glastonbury High School, seven were from Smith Middle School, one was from Gideon Welles School, and one was from Buttonball Elementary School, according to school officials.

One staff member from Hopewell School and another from the bus yard were also in quarantine, the school district said.

One student at Glastonbury High School tested positive for COVID-19.

Get the most up to date information on the Glastonbury Public Schools website.

Groton

Groton Middle School is distance learning for all students through Oct. 16. District officials said all students from both cohorts will be learning from home. Students are asked not to come to the building and no in-person classes will be held.

On Friday, Oct. 9, Groton Public Schools learned that a member of the S. B. Butler School community tested positive for coronavirus and no students, teachers or other classroom staff members were contacts.  The affected person was instructed to isolate at home.

On Oct. 6, Groton Public Schools learned that a member of the Claude Chester School community tested positive for coronavirus and the person was instructed to isolate at home.

On Oct. 5, the school department learned that a member of the Northeast Academy community tested positive for COVID-19. The person had not been in school for over a week, and was not in the building at any time while infected. 

On Oct. 4, the school district learned that a member of the Groton Middle School community tested positive for COVID-19 and the person had contact with several people in the middle school the week before. Groton Middle School switch to full distance learning for two weeks and no in-person classes will be held through Oct. 16.  The affected person has been instructed to isolate at home. 

The individual had limited contact with the Claude Chester School community and Claude Chester School will also switch to full distance learning for two days.  No in-person classes will be held on October 5 and October 6. 

Hamden

A student at Hamden High School tested positive for COVID-19, according to Superintendent Jody Goeler.

The school district reached out to anyone who had close contact with the student and provided them instructions on what steps to take, Goeler said in an email to parents. Students and staff who have not been in closed contact will remain in school.

Helen Street School in Hamden also reported a positive case earlier this month.

New Britain

Holmes School will move all students to remote learning Wednesday after a member of the community tested positive for COVID-19. Officials said the individual was last at school on Friday, October 9 and that they have been instructed to quarantine for 14 days.

New Britain also reported a case at Smith Elementary School and the school moved to remote learning.

Several of the person's close contacts reported symptoms that might be COVID-19, and they were also been instructed to quarantine.

There were other confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 at five schools in New Britain, according to the school district.

The positive cases were at New Britain High School, Pulaski Middle School, Lincoln Elementary School, Holmes Elementary School, and Chamberlain Elementary School.

For the high school and Lincoln Elementary School, the cases were determined to be isolated.

Also in New Britain, a member of the CLIMB Program tested positive for COVID-19, according to the school district. The last day this person was at the program was on Sept. 21, school officials said.

Cases were also reported at the Lincoln KEY Program, Roosevelt Early Learning Center, and Smith Elementary School.

Roosevelt Early Learning Center and two classrooms at the Lincoln KEY Program moved to remote learning for two weeks, resuming in-person on Monday, Oct. 19. There will be no closures at Smith.

New Canaan

In New Canaan, 53 students were quarantining at home after four classmates tested positive for coronavirus. Three of the four cases at the high school appeared to be connected through youth sports activities, according to the superintendent.

As of Monday, Oct. 13, New Canaan Schools are reporting one staff member at New Canaan High School in quarantine and two students. One student at Saxe Middle School has COVID-19 and six students and one staff member are quarantining due to close contact.

Three staff members at West Elementary School and 11 students are in quarantine.

Newington

The superintendent said on Oct. 12 that two individuals at Anna Reynolds School tested positive for COVID-19 and all impacted staff and students have been notified and two classes have been quarantined out of an abundance of caution.

North Branford

School officials said administrators were notified that a member of the North Branford High School community tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and immediate action was taken to isolate, perform contact tracing and notify anyone who was in close contact with this person.

Norwich

Norwich Public Schools moved students moved to remote learning for two weeks after the city saw a climb in COVID-19 cases and administrators made the decision to keep students learning from home as a precaution.

Plainfield

A staff member within the Plainfield High School community tested positive for COVID-19 and was instructed to remain home and quarantine for 14 days. The last day the person was in Plainfield High School was Sept. 21.

Plainfield High School was closed from Monday, Sept. 28 through Wednesday, Sept. 30. Volleyball was also canceled for the week.

Preston

Preston Public Schools moved to virtual instruction for Monday, Sept. 28 and Tuesday, Sept. 29 after a member of the school community tested positive for coronavirus. The superintendent said to be prepared for a possible shift for at least the next 14 days to full virtual instruction.

The infected person was instructed to remain home in self-isolation for 14 days and family members were also instructed to self-quarantine and get tested.

Simsbury

A support staff member at Simsbury High School tested positive for COVID-19. After determining that the staff member had no close contacts while working at the school, the district determined the school could remain open.

Southington

All classes at Southington High School were remote through Friday, Oct. 9.

At least 25 staff members were self-quarantining after three positive COVID-19 cases at the school.

The school district was not able to fill that many positions with substitute teachers, according to Superintendent Timothy Connellan. The district hopes to have students return to in-person learning on Tuesday, Oct. 13, barring any new positive cases.

A person at Hatton Elementary School also tested positive for coronavirus. That person and anyone who was determined to be in close contact with them were quarantining at home for 14 days. Students and staff who did not come in close contact with the infected person will be at school for in-person learning.

Stratford

Bunnell High School closed after two additional people tested positive for COVID-19 and planned to resume the hybrid model on Oct. 12 .

School officials said in a letter on Sept. 25 that the high school was closed and students would be distance learning for two weeks.

School officials said they were notified of two additional positive COVID-19 cases within the Bunnell High School community. Anyone who was directly in contact with either person who tested positive will be contacted and should remain in quarantine for 14 days, they said.

The plan is to resume the hybrid model on Oct. 12, school officials added.

Trumbull

Hillcrest Middle School was closed to all students because of a case of COVID-19. Learning was remote while the school wasclosed and students in Cohort B were able to re-enter the building on Thursday, Oct. 1, according to a statement from the principal.

"This decision was not made lightly, and was the result of careful and thorough contact tracing completed by the Trumbull Nursing Department. We are very grateful for their help and support," Bryan Rickert, principal of Hillcrest Middle School wrote in a letter to families.

Waterbury

On Tuesday Waterbury Public Schools reported two new COVID-19 cases at Kennedy High School - one in a student who has been learning virtually and another in-person. Health officials determined no school closure is necessary.

School officials said Monday that four more students in Waterbury Public Schools tested positive for COVID-19, according to school officials.

Tinker Elementary School, West Side Middle School, and Waterbury Arts Magnet School each have one new in-person COVID-19 case, the school district said.

At West Side Middle School and Waterbury Arts Magnet School, impacted classes will transition to distance learning through Oct. 22, school officials said.

A student at Tinker Elementary School has tested positive for COVID-19, according to the city's website. The student who tested positive for COVID-19 was been instructed to remain home in self-isolation for 10 days and will need medical documentation before returning to in-person classes.

A member of the Kingsbury Elementary School community tested positive and impacted class will transition to distance learning through Wednesday, Oct. 21. The school remains open.

A student at Rotella Interdistrict Magnet School, who is enrolled in the virtual
academy, tested positive for COVID-19.

Three students at West Side Middle School, who are enrolled in the virtual
academy, tested positive for COVID-19.

A student at Driggs Elementary School tested positive for COVID-19. As a
precaution, all the students in the two classes will transition to distance learning
through Wednesday, Oct. 14. The student who tested positive for COVID-19 has been instructed to remain home in self-isolation for 10 days.

A student at Waterbury Career Academy High School, who is enrolled in the
virtual academy, tested positive for COVID-19. The student has been learning from home since the first day of school and has not been in the school building.

A staff member at Gilmartin Elementary School has tested positive for COVID-19.
As a precaution, the specific class will transition to distance learning through
Wednesday, Oct. 14. The staff member who tested positive for COVID-19 has been instructed to remain home in self-isolation for 10 days.

A staff member at Bunker Hill Elementary School tested positive for COVID19 and has been instructed to remain home in self-isolation for 10 days.

A student at Crosby High School in Waterbury tested positive for COVID-19. The school remained closed to in-person learning Wednesday for a thorough cleaning and disinfection. In-person classes were expected to resume Thursday.

A student at Washington Elementary School tested positive for COVID-19, school officials said last Friday. That student's specific class transitioned to distance learning through Monday, Oct. 12.

Last Wednesday, district officials announced a student at North End Middle School tested positive for the coronavirus. That student is virtual and has not been in the building this year.

District officials announced last Tuesday that two people at Chase Elementary School tested positive for COVID-19. Both classes moved to distance learning through Friday, Oct. 9.

After a staff member at Waterbury Arts Magnet School tested positive for the coronavirus, the school shifted to remote learning through while the building was cleaned and disinfected and contact tracers notified those affected.

Waterford

The Friendship School in Waterford reported a case of COVID-19 and said the person who tested positive was instructed to remain home in self-isolation for 10 days.

Anyone who was considered a close contact with the person was contacted or will be contacted by school or local health officials

West Hartford

West Hartford school officials said in late September that there was a case of COVID-19 at Hall High School. The person participated in football practice last week and all players and staff who had close contact with the person are beginning a 14-day quarantine period.

Windsor

A student at Windsor High School and a student at Sage Park tested positive for COVID-19. All students who were deemed to be a close contact were notified. A letter on the school website said the impacted class would quarantine for 14 days, retroactive to the last contact, and will participate in distance learning for that time.