Contact tracing continues in New London schools

District reported 9 cases this past week

New London — With nine reported positive COVID-19 cases in the school district over the past week, district officials say they are assessing whether schools will return to the hybrid model next week.

Superintendent Cynthia Ritchie called off in-person classes on Friday after news late Thursday of two new cases that involved adults in the district’s Adult Education Program and their children. The children, she said, are students at various schools in the district.

“Additional time is needed to investigate and implement contact tracing protocols regarding last night’s new family cases,” Ritchie said in an email on Friday. “This work continues throughout today. Decisions about next week will be made after we have a clearer picture of the outcomes needed.”

An update was not available for this report.

Of the nine cases reported during the week, Ritchie said most did not impact students or educational programs because some of the individuals were not present in the school buildings.

“Decisions about next week will be made after we have a clearer picture of the outcomes needed.” CYNTHIA RITCHIE NEW LONDON SUPERINTENDENT

The district reports positive cases of COVID-19 even if the student is not participating in in- person classes. After the first month of school, for example, the district had reported a total of 13 cases but six of those were among distance learners.

Both Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School and C.B. Jennings International Elementary School reported cases this past week. The schools were deemed safe to reopen after consultation with Ledge Light Health District. It is unclear if other schools had reported cases this week and Ritchie said that information was not immediately available.

Ledge Light Health District, which releases weekly COVID-19 numbers and performs contact tracing, does not identify specific institutions with positive COVID-19 cases unless there is a public health need to do so, LLHD Director of Health Stephen Mansfield said. Schools maintain their own protocols with how they make notifications of positive cases. In New London, the school district reports cases from each individual school to those specific school communities.

The school district expects to open school buildings on Wednesdays this month to accommodate staff choosing to conduct their work there. Ritchie also has said the district will continue to operate in the hybrid model through the end of November, when it will make a decision on a full reopening. Students, even if the schools reopen five days a week, still will have the option to participate in distance learning.