Coronavirus 2021
COVID-19 CDC website

Superintendent: All Schools Back in Session in a Delayed Opening on Monday

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Darien schools reopen this Monday, Jan. 3, although on a two-hour delayed opening, Superintendent Alan Addley announced late Thursday in a message to parents and school staff. Addley also said that five days of remote learning will be available to students tested positive for COVID-19 or who have symptoms of it or who have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19 or who have been in contact with a household with a COVID-19 positive resident. The two-hour delay, Addley said, would “provide teachers with the opportunity to prepare remote and in-person learning for their students.” A total of 78 students and/or staff have tested positive for COVID-19 in the eight days since Addley’s previous message to parents and staff, he said.

Code Red Messages 2021

POSTPONED! Free COVID-19 Test Kits NOT Available Thursday

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UPDATE, 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 29:

The test kit distribution event planned for Thursday afternoon at Darien High School will NOT take place, First Selectman Monica McNally announced in an early evening CodeRed message to town residents. “I am sorry to share with you that we received notice late this afternoon from the Governor’s Office that the expected supply of at-home COVID test kits being provided by the State to Darien has not yet arrived in Connecticut,” McNally said. “Upon confirmation from the Governor’s Office that the test kits are in Connecticut, I will advise everyone of the new distribution plan via this notification system,” she said. Full Text of First Selectman’s Wednesday Message
From a 6:30 p.m. email:

Hello,This is your First Selectman Monica McNally.I am sorry to share with you that we received notice late this afternoon from the Governor’s Office that the expected supply of at-home COVID test kits being provided by the State to Darien has not yet arrived in Connecticut.

COVID-19 CDC website

As Darien School COVID-19 Cases Ramp Up, Officials Plead to Parents: Keep Kids With Symptoms at Home

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Faced with a flood of new COVID-19 cases, Darien school district officials are sending general messages to entire classrooms of students when they may have been exposed to someone with COVID, the district’s nursing director and superintendent said in an announcement to parents and others in the school system. The nursing director, Alicia Casucci, and Superintendent Alan Adley pleaded with parents to keep their children home if they show signs of COVID-19:

We cannot emphasize enough the importance of keeping any individual who is exhibiting symptoms of COVID AT HOME. These symptoms may be very mild and  include a sore throat, headache, cough, congestion, mild runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.  Anyone experiencing symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, should seek the advice of their primary care provider and testing as soon as possible. (Boldface and italics in original announcement.)

The state Department of Education and other state authorities are reviewing the state’s contact tracing procedures. If the procedures are then changed, Casucci and Adley said, employees and families of those in the school system will be told.

McNally: Darien Has More COVID-19 Cases, More Booster Clinics Coming

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In the past 13 days, 168 Darien residents have acquired COVID-19 cases, as far as authorities know, and with holiday gatherings, more is expected, First Selectman Monica McNally told the town in a late Wednesday afternoon Code Red message. “COVID cases are on the rise,” she said. Meanwhile, McNally said, some town residents are concerned about the availability of testing, the cost and heavy traffic at the sites. “I am working with the director of health to possibly add a second testing site in Darien,” she said. “If you are 16 or older and it has been at least six months since your second dose, you are strongly encouraged to get a booster,” the first selectman said.

Coronavirus 2021
Darien Public Schools

Superintendent: School District Might Return to Remote Learning as Omicron Variant Spreads More COVID-19 in Darien

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While there’s been no decision made, Darien schools may again change from in-school teaching to remote learning because of the “significant increase in COVID-19 cases” in Darien and the region, schools Superintendent Alan Addley said Tuesday — but he added that doing so is “unlikely.” “Over the next few days, as prudent planning, the District will make any necessary preparations in the unlikely event the District needs to transition to remote learning after the break,” Addley wrote in a message sent to school district staff and parents of students. “This will include students taking home their devices and any potential remote learning materials on Thursday as they leave for break.” The winter break is scheduled to end on Monday, Jan. 3, the earliest day that the district might switch to remote learning, largely conducted over the Internet.

Healthy Living
COVID-19 Coronavirus

Continued Steady Pace in New COVID Cases in Darien Schools Through Thanksgiving Break

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During Thanksgiving break, the number of new COVID-19 cases reported among students, teachers and others in Darien schools remained steady, according to reports from school district officials to parents and staff. A total of 21 people tested positive for COVID-19 In the five days from Wednesday (when students were released early, just before Thanksgiving) through early Sunday evening. Although that number is higher than in previous updates to parents and staff, it represents a total of five days instead of the single-day reports that had been given out in each of the five days before Thanksgiving break. A comparison with those numbers shows no increase in the rate of new reported cases: 21 in each five-day period. There was a jump in the number of people told to self-quarantine (21 in the earlier five-day period, 33 in the latest report) but far fewer told to get tested for COVID and be careful (“Screen & Stay” in the reports: 43 in the earlier period, 23 in the later period).

Alan Addley 2021
Coronavirus illustration CDC wide for facebook

Uptick in New COVID-19 Cases in Darien — 40 in Past 12 Days, 20 on Monday Alone

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The number of COVID-19 cases in Darien shot up in the past 10 days, a group of town officials, including health officials and school officials, said in a letter to town residents released Tuesday afternoon (full text below). The officials asked residents to be sure to follow health guidelines, although school children have been getting only “mild” cases. “In the past 10 days we have seen a surge in COVID cases across the school district, especially in our elementary school population. Fortunately, the level of illness of the individual positive cases continues to be mild. Increases in COVID cases have also been reported in the town,” the letter said.

Coronavirus 2021
COVID-19 Coronavirus

[UPDATE] With All Slots Filled for Darien COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics for Kids, Info on Other Opportunities Promised

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Update, 5:58 p.m.: Schools Superintendent Alan Addley has told Darien elementary school parents that the district will tell them about other opportunities for getting vaccinations after reservations for a town sponsored clinic were snapped up quickly — in roughly as little as half an hour, according to one parent. “We will communicate all opportunities for vaccination with you in a timely manner,” Addley said in an email Darienite.com received at 12:30 p.m., Thursday. An earlier announcement about the availability of registration for the clinic went out at 7:15 p.m., Wednesday. Darien resident Liz Anderson Steinke posted a comment on Darienite’s Facebook post linking to the story, saying, “They [registration slots] were filled up in half an hour, give or take. Hopefully the town will expand the time slots or add more clinics as demand is clearly there.”

Healthy Living
COVID-19 CDC website

First Selectman: Vaccine Shots Soon Available at Darien Clinics for Children, Seniors, Others at Risk

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A COVID-19 vaccine clinic for children ages 5 to 11 will be held in the Town Hall gymnasium will be held for two days in November, and second doses for two days in December, First Selectman Jayme Stevenson said in a Code Red message to the town Thursday night. Seniors and others eligible for booster vaccines can get them on Tuesdays in the same gym, beginning Nov. 9. Getting appointments goes through Darien Public Schools (for children), through Town Hall (for seniors) and through a state agency (for non-seniors getting booster shots). The town hasn’t had a resident hospitalized for COVID-19 since last March, and Darien’s weekly positivity rate is 0.13.

Coronavirus 2021
Ingrid Taylar Flickr School Bus in Mirror

Superintendent to Parents: School Buses Will Run as Normal on Monday

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Darien Schools Superintendent Alan Addley told parents in a 3 p.m. email Sunday that they should expect school buses to be running normally on Monday — because the drivers all got their vaccines or are getting tested, as mandated. “The drivers for Darien’s bus company, First Student, have complied with the executive order to be vaccinated or submit to weekly testing and we are not anticipating a disruption to bus transportation tomorrow,” Addley wrote. Addley noted that there have been news reports that drivers in some districts might not be showing up for work Monday because they’ve refused to either get the vaccine or the tests, as mandated by an executive order from Gov. Ned Lamont. Across the state, about 350 bus drivers are expected not to report for work Monday morning, according to a Friday report by WTNH-TV news. The Hartford Courant says only about 200 in Connecticut are expected not to show up.

Coronavirus 2021
COVID-19 CDC website

State Officials Host Online Meeting to Answer Families Questions About Safely Reopening Schools

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The Connecticut State Department of Education together with Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and other healthcare providers, is hosting a Virtual House Call Meeting from 5 to 6 p.m., Monday, Aug. 23, to answer families’ questions about what to expect and how to prepare for a safe and successful return to school. Parents interested in participating may register via this link. If you register, you will receive notification when the recording of this event is available.

Coronavirus 2021
COVID-19 Coronavirus

Where Darien Stands on New COVID-19 Rules: First Selectman’s Update

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The town government won’t impose indoor mask mandates for businesses and other places in town (although they’re already required in Town Hall), First Selectman Jayme Stevenson said in part of her CodeRED update to residents late Thursday afternoon about COVID-19 rules in Darien. Anyone who is immunocompromised and had the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines can get booster shots now, the first selectman said. “You must be at least 8 months from receipt of the last shot in your initial vaccine series. Boosters for the general public are anticipated to be available by the end of September. Plans for offering local booster clinics is underway.”

Healthy Living
Metro-North New Haven Line MTA Metropolitan Transit Authority An M8 car on the tracks

Commuter Advocates to the Governor: Metro-North Needs to Enforce Mask Rules

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The lives of thousands of daily passengers on Metro-North are being jeopardized by the railroad’s refusal to enforce federal and state safety rules requiring face masks, according to the Connecticut Commuter Action Group and the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council in a joint announcement. Here’s most of the news release from the two groups:
Writing to Governor Lamont, the leaders of the independent CT Commuter Action Group and state-created CT Commuter Rail Council appealed to the Governor to safeguard passenger safety by having authorities issue citations to those refusing to wear masks. “Metro-North says it wants passengers to come back to the trains but their refusal to issue a single ticket to mask scofflaws says the opposite,” said Jim Cameron of the CT Commuter Action Group. [Cameron is a Darien resident.]
“Metro North clearly needs to do a better job with mask enforcement if they wish to motivate and convince riders that rail transportation is safe to use.  The Commuter Council continues to make that request however nothing seems to change.” noted Jim Gildea, chairman of the state-created CT Commuter Council. Both advocates called on the Connecticut Department of Transportation to require Metro-North, the state’s vendor, to enforce the  masking rules.  To date, not a single citation has been issued to offenders by MTA Police, despite the rise in cases of the COVID  Delta Variant.

Education
Darien Public Schools

Superintendent: Board of Ed to Discuss COVID Regulations Tuesday — What the Plan Says

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The Board of Education, at its meeting Tuesday night, will discuss a proposed plan for COVID-19 regulations in Darien schools when they reopen for the upcoming school year, and members of the public can tell the board what they think about the plan. In a message to parents on Friday, Schools Superintendent Alan Addley described highlights of the district’s plan, called the “Safe Return Plan” or “SRP.” The plan follows mandates and guidelines already sent out by the state government, along with recommendations from the federal government, Addley said. Those mandates and guidelines often change, he said, especially now in response to the Delta variant. “Preparations are well underway to welcome all of our students back to school in the fall,” the superintendent said. Remote learning will only take place with students in quarantine, he said.