Data: COVID-19 cases going up among Conn. school-aged children

A review of state COVID data shows cases among school-aged children are rising as more students are attending classes in-person, but officials say transmission is not happening inside schools.

“We’ve seen an uptick in kids,” Tom Balcezak, chief medical officer at the Yale New Haven Health System, said this week.

The number of students with confirmed cases of COVID-19 has risen from 501 on Feb. 17, to 756 on March 24, according to state data.

School districts are still routinely informing parents of coronavirus cases among students.

In Weston, the district notified parents this week of four new COVID cases among students, one at the district’s elementary school and three at Weston High School.

In Trumbull, parents are texted almost daily about more COVID-19 cases among students. Trumbull Nursing Director Lynn Steinbrick said that increase is mirroring a surge in cases across the state.

“Our schools are a direct reflection of the population,” she said. “We’re seeing a surge in Connecticut and it’s reflected in the schools.”

Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public Schools Superintendents, put that number into context, noting there are 525,000 students in Connecticut schools.

“I’m not saying that is not an increase,” she said. “But it’s not a huge number of kids, certainly.”

At the same time, the number of staff coronavirus cases has decreased. There were 33 fewer coronavirus cases among school staff week over week, a total of 143 statewide on March 24, state data shows.

Teachers and other child care professionals in Connecticut became eligible to be vaccinated on March 1.

As those 16 and older become eligible Thursday, the state has directed municipalities and school districts to hold vaccine clinics for eligible high school students. A study of the Pfizer vaccine showed that it was 100 percent effective among children 12 to 15 years old at preventing a severe coronavirus infection. It has not been approved yet for children that age.

As the number of children with confirmed coronavirus infections has increased, so has the number of students studying in schools.

“Over the last couple of weeks, certainly the number of kids in-person have increased,” Rabinowitz said.

According to state data, the number of in-person students has increased by 56 statewide in the last week.

But officials are reluctant to say that transmission is happening inside schools. Steinbrick said kids are catching the virus outside of school.

“What we’re seeing more now than we used to is that if one household member tests positive, everyone gets it,” she said. “So, mom’s not feeling great and gets tested, but the kids go to school. Then the test comes back positive, you take the kids out of school, and then the kids test positive.”

Steinbrick also said the weather has something to do with it.

“We’re also seeing social gatherings on the rise,” she said. “There are more playdates and parties. As the weather gets nicer and people are getting vaccinated, people are letting their guard down. There are a lot of activities going on.”