Newtown, defending football champs, are quarantining
The student athletes who are quarantining at home are among other students and school district staff who are also quarantining because of their contact with two other people who tested positive for coronavirus, according to a notice from schools Superintendent Lorrie Rodrigue.
NEWTOWN — Members of Newtown’s defending state championship football team are quarantining after contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, the school district said.
The football team, which made national news by completing its undefeated season with a dramatic, walk-off touchdown to defeat Darien in the Class LL title game on the 7th on anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre, was quarantining along with other Newtown High School athletes.
The student athletes who are quarantining at home are among other students and school district staff who are also quarantining because of their contact with two other people who tested positive for coronavirus, according to a notice from schools Superintendent Lorrie Rodrigue.
“These will result in the quarantining of students and staff across the dis
trict,” Rodrigue wrote. “However, actual transmission remains low across our schools, and we continue to monitor transmission of infection and trends within the community.”
Details about the actual number of students and staff who are quarantining was not immediately avail
able on Wednesday. The district would only say that a total of three people had tested positive – one person who “who works with our students on the football team,” one person who works for the district’s transportation company, and a person described only as “a case at Reed and
Newtown Middle School.”
Newtown’s football team, which was unable to defend it’s title this year because of COVID-19 restrictions, has been practicing and playing modified seven-on-seven games.
The positive COVID-19 cases and the quarantining of students and staff is part of a larger trend across greater Danbury and Connecticut as the nation deals with a second wave of coronavirus infections.
Across the state on Wednesday, 69 Connecticut cities and towns were flagged with red alerts – the state health department’s highest level of infection concern. Scores of other communities were flagged with orange alerts, the state’s next-highest level of concern, where there were 10-to-14 new cases of COVID-19 daily, adjusted for population.
Newtown is one of seven towns in greater Danbury with an orange alert. Danbury, Brookfield and Bethel are flagged with red alerts.
Hearst Connecticut Media has calculated how many cases it takes for each community to move from an orange alert to a red alert.
According to that analysis, Newtown would need 58 new cases of coronavirus in the past two weeks to be flagged with a red alert. As of Wednesday morning, Newtown had 53 new cases of COVID-19 in the past two weeks.
In a letter to Newtown parents and staff on Monday, Rodrigue stressed the importance of following infection control practices including washing hands, wearing a face mask, and keeping a 6-foot distance from others outside the home.
“We ask that you continue to be mindful of the uptick in cases across our community, and to do your best to minimize unnecessary travel or group gatherings in alignment with the governor’s recent response efforts,” Rodrigue wrote.