Westport Public Schools Announce Third Consecutive Day without Any COVID-19 Cases
Press ReleaseDear Westport Families and Staff,
I am pleased to share with everyone this evening that we have had no new cases of Covid-19 reported in our schools today. This is the third day in a row without any reported cases.
As a reminder, families are asked to report positive Covid-19 cases of students using our reporting voicemail or email regardless of whether the students are in remote or in-person 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
Celebrating Cinco de Mayo at Saugatuck’s Viva Zapata Restaurant
Photo by Matthew Mandell, Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce, for The Westport Local Press. With new guidelines for local bars and restaurants now in effect - locals flocked to Viva Zapata’s Mexican Restaurant, 530 Riverside Avenue, to celebrate Cinco de Mayo tonight. The popular local hangout was excited to be permitted to remain open until midnight, with patrons now able to purchase drinks without the purchase of food; a step closer to pre-pandemic operations. The large outdoor patio gave space for the groups to enjoy their dinner service while tents kept them dry after today’s wet weather.
“Vivas” has operated in Westport since 1969, making it one of the longest running restaurants in Westport - with generations of Westporters
Correction: Clarification that alcohol purchases without food purchases are for outdoor service only until the next State of Connecticut reopening phase, which begins on May 19th.
Westport Cumulative COVID-19 Cases Up 3; No Deaths; State Positivity Rate 2.60%
The Westport-Weston Health District reports that Westport has added 3 positive or probable COVID-19 cases, and has added 0 deaths.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 1,787 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 31 deaths.
State Daily Test Positivity: 2.60%
NYC Public Schools: No More Snow Days, “Plan on Participating in Remote Learning”
The New York City Department of Education announced yesterday that snow days will be a thing of history for the next generation of new yorkers.
With the release of their 2021/2022 academic calendar, families and educators noticed the bullet point that confirmed a fear for many in the education community. The NYC DoE stated: “On ‘Snow days’ or days when school buildings are closed due to an emergency, all students and families should plan on participating in remote learning.”
Days filled with hot cocoa, playing in the snow, and no worries remained this year for Westport students, as Westport Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice described himself in a December 14th, 2020 email as a “purist”, saying “ I do believe that for most children, the experience of a snow day can be an unforgettable part of childhood and a unique opportunity for unstructured play.”