COVID case quarantines 12 at Darien middle school

DARIEN — A COVID-19 case at Middlesex Middle School has caused 11 others to be quarantined, the superintendent said Wednesday night.

In an email from Superintendent Alan Addley and Alicia Casucci, director of nursing for the schools, the Darien Public Schools COVID Response

Team was notified Tuesday evening that a member of the middle school community tested positive for COVID-19.

“The affected individual has been instructed to remain home in self- isolation for 10 days and has been provided with additional instructions to follow prior to returning to school. Family members have also been instructed to self- quarantine and get tested,” the email said.

The person was last at the school on Sept. 17. The district did not say whether the person was a student or employee.

According to the email, 11 other people were determined to have been in close contact with the infected person. They have been told to quarantine and consult with their doctor.

The case is reported as the district prepares to return to full- time, inperson learning on Tuesday. The Board of Education held a meeting Tuesday night with 90 minutes of public comment with mixed reactions to returning to the classrooms fulltime.

Darien teachers held a rally before the meeting to raise awareness to their concerns about being in school full- time.

Last week, a suspected case of COVID-19 was investigated at Tokeneke Elementary School, but that case proved to be negative, Addley said at Tuesday night’s meeting.

The district has outlined its COVID tracking and reporting practices online. There have been four cases reported so far in September in Darien. For the week of Sept. 16 through Sept. 23, there had been one case reported in the 20 to 29 age range.

Addley could not immediately be reached for comment.

For more COVID-19 resources, visit the Town of Darien’s info page.