Three more cases of coronavirus confirmed in Norwalk schools
NORWALK — Three new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Norwalk Public Schools this week, bringing the total number of cases in the district to nine.
Schools spokesperson Brenda Wilcox Williams said individuals at Nathan Hale Middle School, West Rocks Middle School and Brien McMahon High
School tested positive for the coronavirus. The district was notified of the new cases on Monday. She said neither individual at Nathan Hale or West Rocks was in the building recently, so the Health Department did not recommend any closures or quarantines. Students or staff potentially exposed at Brien McMahon will be asked to quarantine until Oct. 16.
Norwalk schools have now reported at least nine cases of COVID-19. Last month, the district said three people tested positive for the virus including two students at P-TECH. As a result, the district’s PTECH program went virtual for two weeks, as did a classroom and several staff at Silvermine Dual Language Magnet School. Several bus routes were impacted as well. Since then, they’ve revealed
there have also been cases at Columbus Magnet School and Kendall Elementary School, as well as two cases among “staff not affiliated with a specific school.”
Parents at the middle schools expressed concerns on social media about the lack of quarantining and information on the cases. West Rocks parent Kimbery Roland was so alarmed, she moved her son from hybrid to virtual learning. She hadn’t known about the case until she received an email from the school on Monday saying someone had been infected and last in the building Sept. 29.
“I don’t trust it,” she said. “I have all the hand sanitizers and all the good stuff and I tell (my son) to be careful and not go near anybody. ... He’s in middle school so I felt safer about it, but now it’s like who had the virus. ... I don’t know. Did they teach my son? Was it a classmate of
his in his class?”
COVID-19 cases are increasing across the city. Since June, Norwalk’s coronavirus cases have been low with sometimes fewer than 10 new cases a week. But the latest data from Norwalk officials shows at least 37 people tested positive for coronavirus last week (the city releases data based on the date the test was taken, more may become available later on). The week prior, 25 people tested positive for coronavirus, making it the first time since May that more than 20 people were diagnosed in a week.
So far this week, there have already been 20 new cases reported, plus three additional cases from people who were tested last week. Norwalk also reported a new death from coronavirus on Monday, its first since Sept. 10. Since March, 149 Norwalk residents have lost their lives to COVID-19.
Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling attributed the in
crease—one predicted by medical professionals—to the relaxing of coronavirus restrictions across the country along with college students returning to campus.
“It’s not unexpected, but we also feel if we continue to do the things we’ve done, the increase will not be as large as other areas,” Rilling said. “I would encourage people to continue to wear masks, don’t go out in public unless you have to, don’t go out if you’re not feeling well and get tested. Hopefully, we can get through this. It’s scary to see some of the things happening in other parts of the country or other parts of the state. We need to continue to do the things that have worked in the past.”
Rilling added that large gatherings, like the one at the White House marking the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, are also spreading the disease. At least 10 people at the event
have since tested positive for coronavirus along with many others who were in close proximity to President Donald Trump
“There were probably 100 people or more sitting in close proximity to each other,” Rilling said of the event. “Very few, if any, were wearing masks and you saw the results. It’s obvious these kinds of things, where you have a relaxing of protocol and
large gatherings, there’s going to be a chance for an increased number of cases...I would encourage people not to get complacent. We are not out of this situation yet. If people start to relax and not follow proper protocols, then it’s going to take a longer time to get on the other side.”