COVID-19 numbers slow down in city schools

GREENWICH — The public school district is reporting just 10 new cases of COVID-19 in the past week.

The number of new cases reported has continued to slow recently in Greenwich schools and around the state.

Gov. Ned Lamont announced Thursday new reopening plans that would ease capacity restrictions for restaurants and other businesses and allow larger gatherings later this month. The town of Greenwich said it would allow fireworks to go forward his summer.

And vaccination efforts are continuing throughout Connecticut. Educators are among the group that became eligible as of March 1 for the vaccine along with residents age 55 to 64. Also, Greenwich Hospital is slated to receive a shipment of the recently approved onedose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones said as of Wednesday that 91 percent of staff were either already vaccinated, had appointments scheduled for the vaccine or had opted out of receiving a vaccine. Greenwich Hospital estimated that all Greenwich educators would receive at least their first dose of the vaccine by the end of the month.

A list of the remaining 9 percent of staffers was sent to Greenwich Hospital — a member of the Yale New Haven Health System network, which is helping the Greenwich Public Schools organize the vaccinations.

“We prioritized Greenwich teachers for upcoming clinic days by opening up exclusive, teacher-only appointments and allowed more than 48 hours for those slots to be filled,” said Dana Marnane, vice president of public relations at Greenwich Hospital. “Every patient who receives a first dose is guaranteed a second dose which is scheduled before they leave their first dose appointment.”

The total number of cases in the district since the start of school is now at 447. There are nine active cases and five schools currently affected. There are zero new inschool transmissions.

In Greenwich, students in kindergarten through eighth grade have inschool instruction every day. At Greenwich High, students are divided into two cohorts, with two days of in-person instruction and two days of remote learning each week. And GHS students will begin attending class in person this month on alternating Wednesdays.