Education, COVID-19 James Bairaktaris Education, COVID-19 James Bairaktaris

Superintendent: Weekend Reports 6 New COVID-19 Cases in 3 Schools; 4 at Long Lots

The Westport Public Schools COVID-19 Dashboard. Numbers may not reflect new cases.

From Superintendent Thomas Scarice this morning:

Dear Westport Families and Staff,

In our efforts to remain transparent with reports of positive Covid-19 cases associated with our schools, we will continue to provide these updates as information is confirmed. As of the time I am writing to you this morning we have 6 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 from Friday evening through the weekend. The reports came from the following schools: 

  • Long Lots Elementary School - 4

  • Saugatuck Elementary School - 1

  • Staples High School - 1

Those impacted have been notified by school and District officials. As a reminder, families are asked to report positive of COVID-19 cases of students using our reporting voicemail or email regardless of whether the students are in remote or hybrid models of instruction. Please follow this link for more information on reporting.

Additionally, we want to remind families that students with pending Covid-19 tests should not return to school until receiving negative results. This approach is critical in helping us continue minimizing the potential for transmission in our schools.

Respectfully,

Thomas Scarice

Superintendent of Schools

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Sunday COVID-19 Summary

This summary includes the total cases, deaths, and current hospitalizations in our town, county, and state.

The State does not publish any data on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday - so this summary does not include any information collected on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Data from the past three days will be published cumulatively in tomorrow evening’s daily update.

All data comes from Connecticut Open Data portal. Numbers as of 01/21/21:

Westport:

  • 1,172 positive or probable cases (total) +58 from last week

  • 26 deaths (total) +1 from last week

  • 39,357 tests (total)

Fairfield County:

  • 69,065 positive or probable cases (total) +3,340 from last week

  • 1,886 Deaths (total) +56 from last week

  • 250 currently hospitalized; +2 from last week (as of 01/21/21)

Connecticut:

  • 237,815 positive or probable cases +14,393 from last week(total)

  • 6,819 deaths + 225 from last week (total)

  • 1,058 currently hospitalized -40 from last week (as of 01/21/21)

State Daily Test Positivity:

  • 4.93% of COVID-19 tests administered came back positive (01/21/21)

  • DOWN from 6.20% on 01/14/21

The next update will be published tomorrow evening, and will include all data identified on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of this weekend.

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Long Lots COVID-19 Testing Site Quiet This Week; State’s Overall Testing Up; Weekly Testing Down 50% Compared to Thanksgiving

The Hartford Healthcare COVID-19 testing site at 47 Long Lots Road was empty this morning (pictured), and according to employees, that’s been the case for several weeks. “In the early morning, maybe 20 cars will be in line. But after, just one or two at a time show up” one of the frontliners described. “I think people are just tired of it, of COVID and being tested.”

Just three months ago, the line at the drive-thru site breached the entrance to the campus, causing traffic delays on Long Lots Road and prompting Westport Police to station officers on site for traffic control. Hundreds waited from their cars to get tested, some days those waiting could expect to sit for over three hours.

More testing options have become available in Westport, including walk-in clinics as well as at-home tests. With the increase in easier ways to become tested, this quarter - which includes the Christmas and New Year holidays - is on-track to have the highest amount of tests administered compared to the Spring and Fall, however data shows testing overall has declined in the past few weeks across the State.

Connecticut COVID-19 Testing Data (data.ct.gov)

Spring: March 1 - May 31:

  • 276,878 tests

  • (avg 3,009 tests/day)

Summer: June 1 - August 31:

  • 1,020,640 tests

  • (avg 11,090 tests/day)

Fall: September 1 - November 30

  • 2,442,157 tests

  • (avg 26,836 tests/day)

Winter-to-date: December 1 - January 21

  • 1,657,625 tests

  • (avg 31,877 tests/day)

Thanksgiving Week: November 23 - November 29th

  • 221,878 tests

  • (avg 31,696 tests/day)

Christmas Week: December 22 - December 28:

  • 209,025 tests

  • (avg 29,860 tests/day)

Most Recent: January 15, 2021 - January 21, 2021:

  • 112,137 tests

  • (avg 16,019 tests/day)

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