Coronavirus In CT Schools: Cases Among Students Drop, Staff Rise

CONNECTICUT — Coronavirus cases reported among Connecticut students dropped for a second week in a row, but staff saw a slight uptick in reported cases.There were 859 cases among students and 383 among staff between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2 for pre-K-12 schools, according to the state Department of Education.

Cases among students dropped 10 percent from the previous reporting week, but increased by 5 percent among staff.

Weekly cases among students and staff reached a high point about two weeks ago with 1,146 among students and 489 among staff.

All of Connecticut’s counties remained in the state’s highest risk school learning indicator category. That indicates school systems should consider less in-person learning.

The indicator’s main metric is the number of new daily cases per 100,000 population averaged over two weeks with 25 or greater placing a county in the highest risk category. Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield counties are all over 50 daily cases per 100,000 population and the state as a whole is at 47.6 between Nov. 15 and Nov. 28. Since then the state has seen an increase in daily cases.

Shelton, Waterbury, Brookfield and Hamden public schools are among those that will be remote until at least early 2021.

Bridgeport Public Schools is on remote status until at least mid-December. Administrators said they would re-evaluate the situation.

Other school systems have shorter remote learning periods. Stratford Public Schools went remote for the week after Thanksgiving, but plans to return to hybrid learning on Dec. 7.

Milford Public Schools planned for remote learning a week after Thanksgiving and the holiday break. Middle and high schools were moved to remote learning in an effort to keep elementary schools open for in-person learning as long as possible.