COVID-19 & Back-To-School In Darien: What You Need To Know

DARIEN, CT — With school beginning in Darien next week, the district gave an update Tuesday night on COVID-19 and how things will look as students head back to the classroom.

According to Emily Merritt, the district's new director of nursing, back to school will largely resemble pre-pandemic times.

"Things are looking really good in terms of our vaccination rates, in terms of our natural immunity and in terms of low levels of hospitalizations so we're really looking at opening school very much like how we ended it; very much like pre-pandemic practices," Merritt told the board during its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday night.

"A lot of our mitigation measures are no longer necessary. We're not going to be contact tracing anymore, no more social distancing, cohorting, no more weekly testing. That's all very exciting for us," she added.

Merritt said the district will continue to support getting vaccinations, since "they're an important line in preventing respiratory disease and disrupting continuous operation of schools," Merritt said.

The district will also encourage testing for those who are symptomatic, and will have plenty available for those who need them. CDC isolation guidelines will be followed.

For students who are negative, they'll be encouraged to remain in school.

"We're really going to try and optimize people being in school as much as possible," Merritt noted. "We're excited and eagerly awaiting the start of the school year as typical pre-pandemic as possible."