Officials: In-school transmission probably caused COVID-19 spike
FAIRFIELD — School officials said they believe a spike in COVID-19 cases at Fairfield Woods Middle School occurred because someone came to school while contagious.
“While many schools have experienced cases and quarantines among staff and students since the winter break, a recent cluster of cases at Fairfield Woods MS appear to likely be the result of in-school transmission,” Sands Cleary, Fairfield’s health director, said in a message to families this week. “An undiagnosed case was present at the school during their infectious period and later became symptomatic at school.”
The exposure resulted in six more positive cases at the school and another 11
people needing to quarantine, officials said.
“It is also very likely that mitigation protocols broke down,” Superintendent Mike Cummings said in the same message.
Andrea Clark, the school district’s communications director, said the district relies on a number of protocols to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in school. This includes people doing selfchecks, wearing masks, keeping the appropriate distancing, practicing hand hygiene, using cohorts and staying home if symptomatic or waiting for test results. Ventilation, cleaning and disinfecting at the buildings also helps, she said.
“It is the combination of all these strategies that provide the greatest protection,” she said Friday. “Compliance has been very good, but if there was transmission, then it is likely that resulted from a breakdown in implementation of one or more strategies. In response, we have reissued guidance to families, students and staff reminding them of the importance of adhering to mitigation strategies both in and out of school.”
She said she can’t provide specifics on particular cases but it’s possible for an individual to become symptomatic during the day, be sent home and then test positive.
“There are also asymptomatic individuals who may be in school and contagious,” she said.
Fairfield Woods initially moved to remote learning on Jan. 14 and 15 after officials announced there were 10 positive cases and 21 people in quarantine from the school community as of mid-day Jan. 13.
“The school was closed to allow contact tracing to identify all cases and isolate them and to identify their close contacts and quarantine them,” Cleary said. “The Connecticut Department of Public Health was consulted to ensure all appropriate actions have been taken.”
A third remote day was added on Tuesday because 22 staff members weren’t able to come in, officials said. Students and staff returned Jan. 20.
“This significantly impacts the school’s ability to function in a safe and effective manner,” Cummings said in a letter to families on Jan. 19. “I want to assure you that we are acting with the safety of students and staff as our top priority. We are making this shift because of the staffing impact on school operations, not concerns about in-school transmission or exposure to COVID-19.”
Cleary said they’ve identified measures to correct the spread at Fairfield Woods. This includes reeducating families and staff about home screenings and avoiding close contact with others to prevent contamination from happening again.
Cummings said the measures, coupled with the remote learning days, should prevent any further spread.
“It is expected that the isolation/quarantine of any positive cases and close contacts, time out of school and our continued vigilance with mitigation strategies will stop any further transmissions at Woods,” Cummings said.
Fairfield schools reported 33 students and four staff members were confirmed positive throughout the district with 167 students and 12 staff quarantining as of 3:30 p.m. Friday.
No new cases were reported at Fairfield Woods on Friday, though there were seven other cases reported districtwide.
Cummings reminded the school community to continue to be vigilant.
“What happens outside of school is just as important as the mitigation measures we have in place in schools,” he told families and staff. “We are asking you to support a culture of health, safety and shared responsibility by taking precautions out of school, including adherence to masking, physically distanced socializing and staying home when sick.”