Schools Have 142 Total Cases, 17 This Week With 79 In Quarantine

EAST HAVEN, CT — Since Monday, 15 students and two teachers have tested positive for COVID-19 in East Haven schools, according to data on the district website. And, 79 students and teachers are in quarantine in three schools.

Reports, social media posts and messages to Patch indicate many teachers were not in classes at Joseph Melillo Middle School Wednesday. But without an answer to a very specific question to the schools superintendent, it's not clear how many East Haven teachers are at home in quarantine due to close contact with at least one teacher who tested positive.

When asked how many teachers were in quarantine and how many tested positive, Schools superintendent Erica Forti replied via email: "We were notified that a member of the JMMS community tested positive. Upon notification we engaged in contact tracing protocols resulting in quarantining staff considered to be close contacts."

When asked again the following day how many teachers were out of school and in quarantine, Forti did not respond.

What is known is that currently there are at least 20 middle school "community members" in quarantine. And 23 from East Haven High School are quarantined as are 34 from Tuttle Elementary School.

The dramatic spike in cases was predicted by the local health department.