6 students COVID positive at Westport elementary school
WESTPORT — Six Saugatuck Elementary School students have tested positive for coronavirus as part of a schoolwide round of testing, according to school officials.
State health officials recommended all of the school’s students and staff get tested after Westport Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice said 15 COVID-19 cases were identified at the elementary school this past week.
“Although there appears to be very limited transmission within the school as new cases span multiple grades and classrooms, by definition, a sudden rise in the number of cases at this rate would constitute an outbreak,” Scarice said in an email at the time.
The email also said those 15 cases were believed to have been caused by transmission through after-school activities, large community social events and similar gatherings. Scarice said these findings indicate that in-school mitigation measures have been effective.
The school, which serves students from kindergarten to third grade, tested 293 students and staff Friday, resulting in the six positive cases, according to a letter to parents from the school’s principal, Beth Messler, and the supervisor of health services, Sue Levasseur.
Messler and Levasseur said contact tracing will be conducted throughout the weekend.
Parents will be notified if their child has been affected.
Despite these cases, school will still be in session Monday as the case count is “a relatively low number,” school officials said in a letter to parents.
All Westport schools will resume screening this week. Saugatuck Elementary School will begin testing again Oct. 11, officials said.