A total of 63 people in the Darien school district — students, staff or both — were quarantined after eight of them tested positive for COVID-19, district officials announced late Thursday night.
The people quarantined include 34 (with five people testing positive) from Darien High School; one from Middlesex Middle School (who tested positive); and 21 from Tokeneke School (which had two people testing positive).
The announcement from Schools Superintendent Alan Addley and district Nursing Director Alicia Casucci was received by Darienite.com at 9:15 p.m.
The people testing positive at Darien High School were last in the building April 1, 6, 7 and (in two cases) Thursday, April 8; the one at Middlesex on April 1; the two at Tokeneke on March 31 and Thursday, April 8.
Before the Thursday night announcement, the school district said on its website that as of 10 a.m., Thursday, there were 216 school district community members in quarantine, including 26 testing positive for COVID-19.
Twelve hours later, at 10 p.m., the “dashboard” page on the website was updated to state that there are now 34 people associated with the district that have tested positive and 248 in quarantine (see image, below). Some people appear to have concluded their quarantine periods on Thursday.
Image from DPS website
The district’s COVID-19 dashboard was updated at 10 p.m., with the new, higher totals of people in quarantine and those who tested positive for the coronavirus.
Late Thursday afternoon, Addley announced that schools would be closed to almost all students the week after spring recess because the district was maintaining recommended health guidelines about reopening and there were not enough teachers available because of travel plans during the April 12-16 break.
While teachers who traveled were expected to be back home when school restarted, they would need to quarantine under the guidelines recommended by government health authorities, Addley said. Remote learning will take place the week after spring break (April 19 to 23).
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SEE ALSO:
Schools Superintendent: After Spring Break, Darien Schools Will Be on Remote Learning for a Week (published Thursday evening)
Latest COVID-19 Cases in Schools Announced Wednesday Night: 4 New Cases, 14 Quarantined (published Thursday morning)
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Full Text of the Thursday Night Message
Dear Parents and Community Members:
Today, April 8, 2021, the Darien Public Schools District COVID Response Team was notified about eight (8) individuals who tested positive for COVID-19. The affected individuals have been instructed to remain home in self-isolation for ten (10) days from the date of their positive test. All family members have also been instructed to self-quarantine and get tested.
|
Location |
Last Day in Building |
Contact Tracing: Additional Individuals Quarantined |
|
DHS Case #1 |
4.6.21 |
4 |
|
DHS Case #2 |
4.1.21 |
7 |
|
DHS Case #3 |
4.8.21 |
10 |
|
DHS Case #4 |
4.7.21 |
3 |
|
DHS Case #5 |
4.8.21 |
10 |
|
MMS |
4.1.21 |
0 |
|
Tokeneke #1 |
3.31.21 |
0 |
|
Tokeneke #2 |
4.8.21 |
21 |
The details of these cases have been reviewed with the Darien Health Department and our District Medical Advisor. Contact tracing has been completed and it has been determined fifty-five (55) additional school community members are considered close contacts and will require a 10-day quarantine from the date of last contact.
Your continued diligence with monitoring for symptoms and practicing preventative measures is greatly appreciated. Please keep your child home if they are experiencing symptoms or if they are awaiting test results, even if they are not experiencing any symptoms.
Thank you for your ongoing collaborative efforts in helping to protect the well-being of our greater community.
Sincerely,
Dr. Alan Addley, Ed.D
Superintendent
Alicia Casucci, APRN, CPNP
Director of Nursing Services