Eastern Middle School switches to remote learning after positive COVID test.

GREENWICH — An administrator at Eastern Middle School has tested positive for COVID-19, which forced the entire student body into remote learning for Friday and sent a sizable group of staff and students into quarantine for 14 days.

Principal Jason Goldstein sent a health alert to Eastern families Thursday afternoon notifying them of the positive case of COVID-19. According to the alert, staff members in the school’s office, three teachers, four service providers and three students are in quarantine as a result.

The district’s Director of Communications Sasha Houlihan clarified Friday that the school’s principal and dean of students were not among those in quarantine. In a subsequent update, sent Friday afternoon, Goldstein announced that in-person learning will resume Monday, March 29.

Cases of COVID-19 in Greenwich schools have continued to rise in the last two weeks, as the town is observing a similar uptick.

In the past week, the school district is reporting 32 new cases, the largest week-over-week increase in over a month. The new cases bring the total since the start of school to 527.

On Wednesday, First Selectman Fred Camillo described a slight uptick in cases that was “a little concerning.”

According to Greenwich’s Director of Health Caroline Baisley, the biggest increases in cases have been in the 11 to 20 and 41 to 50 age groups. The spread among teens was, in part, the result of students playing sports, she said. And contact tracing tied many cases in the 41 to 50 age group to residents coming back from vacations.

There are 11 Greenwich schools currently with active COVID-19 cases, with the highest highest concentrations at Greenwich High and Eastern Middle School.

Cases of the coronavirus are rising even as vaccination efforts continue. This week, Gov. Ned Lamont expedited his vaccination schedule when he announced that all Connecticut residents age 16 and up will be eligible for vaccination April 1, up from the original date of April 5.

At Thursday’s Board of Education meeting, Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones said the district is working to provide information to parents about how to get their children vaccinated.

Also at the Thursday meeting, Carol Sutton, president of the Greenwich Education Association, noted her concern at rising cases in the district and town-wide, particularly in the age 11 to 20 cohort.

“Please everyone, this is not the time to let our guards down, no matter how much we want to be back to normal,” Sutton said.