Brookfield Coronavirus On Rise, Schools Stay Remote Thru Jan. 15

BROOKFIELD, CT — With the leading coronavirus infection indicators continuing to trend upward in town, the public schools will remain in distance learning mode through Jan. 15.

Schools Superintendent John Barile announced the extension in an email to parents on Wednesday afternoon.

"While in the Remote Learning model our school community members continue to contract the COVID-19 virus," Barile wrote. "Our public health and medical advisors anticipate that many individuals will likely have had exposure during the Thanksgiving weekend. Staffing the schools will continue to be extremely challenging."

Another member of the Huckleberry Hill School community tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. The affected individual and family have been instructed to remain home and isolate.

The schools switched from hybrid to remote learning on Nov. 17, intending to return to in-person learning on Dec. 7.

The number of COVID-19 infections in the town has ballooned from 28.1 cases per 100,000 last week to 36.1 cases per 100,000. The positivity rate for the virus in Brookfield has also jumped from 5.9 to 7 percent, according to Barile, citing data from the local Health Department.

"Therefore, out of an abundance of caution and upon the strong recommendation of our health and medical advisors, we will remain in Remote Learning through January 15th. We plan to return to in-person instruction on January 19th," Barile wrote.

The schools will determine whether they return full in-person or hybrid following the winter recess.