Westport schools roll back some COVID measures, expand testing

WESTPORT — The school district is rolling back a number of the tighter COVID mitigation measures it announced a few weeks ago when cases were climbing.

“As we continue to endure the omicron surge, possibly beginning to now see a leveling off with an expected drop off, I would like to provide some updates regarding current measures, along with some modifications,” Superintendent Thomas Scarice said in an email to families on Friday.

Two of the measures introduced at the K-8 level to be removed on Tuesday are the universal masking for outdoor recess and suspension of before- and after-school programs.

Scarice said requiring masking outdoors at recess was added after break as a precaution, but will be removed “given our ability to mitigate in the school environment, and the reduction of the risk factor outdoors.”

The governor’s universal masking mandate for schools remains in effect until Feb. 15.

“Of course, families may elect to have their child to continue to wear a mask during outdoor recess,” Scarice said.

He said the schools’ ability to mitigate the spread of coronavirus and “the need for students to continue with programs outside the school day for their emotional and mental wellness” led to the decision to restart the before- and after-school programs at the K-8 level.

The after-school programs at the high school were able to continue, based on an earlier notice to families.

The district is also expanding its weekly testing to vaccinated students, Scarice announced.

“For the past several weeks, the Westport Public Schools have provided the option of a weekly serial COVID-19 testing program for unvaccinated students in grades pre-K-6,” he said. “This program is made available through a collaboration with the State of Connecticut and is free of charge to all families.”

The district was informed this week that the screening program would now include fully vaccinated students too, he said.

“This program is completely voluntary and will require signed parental consent,” Scarice said. “Students will be out of class no longer than a few minutes and the test itself takes approximately 15 seconds.”

Progressive Diagnostics provides the weekly PCR tests on Mondays, which are done as shallow nasal swabs. Parents can create confidential patient portals to see their children’s test results. Any interested parent can complete the consent form online at https://progressive-diagnostics.com/ school-testing/.

Any student who has had a positive COVID-19 diagnosis within the last 90 days should not be tested.

“If your child was previously signed up and was vaccinated they may have been taken off the list and you may need to reregister your child by providing an additional consent,” Scarice said, adding the next planned testing date is Jan. 24.

The district reported 161 positive cases for students and staff in the district on Friday for the week. This is down from the week’s total of 331 from the previous week of Jan. 3-9, according to the COVID-19 dashboard.

School administrators are also working with the K-12 Music and Arts Coordinator Steve Zimmerman to reschedule the inperson concerts and performances that had to be postponed due to COVID.

“Each school will develop their own schedules and this information will be communicated to families when dates are confirmed,” Scarice said.