Fairfield Back In Virus Red Zone; Schools Report 15 New Cases

FAIRFIELD, CT — The Fairfield school system reported its highest number of coronavirus cases in a single day so far on Thursday, the same day the town of Fairfield returned to the growing list of municipalities in Connecticut’s virus red alert zone.

Communities fall within the red alert zone when they have at least 15 daily cases per 100,000 people over two weeks. As of Thursday, Fairfield’s rate from Oct. 25 to Nov. 7 was 35.6 daily cases, with the town recording a total of 309 cases during the course of the two-week period. Since Nov. 7, Fairfield has reported another 243 cases.

"Community spread is definitely occurring and that's being reflected in the entire community," Health Department Director Sands Cleary said in an interview Tuesday.

The state has previously encouraged towns with an average daily rate above 25 to consider switching to distance learning. Superintendent Mike Cummings told the Fairfield school board Tuesday the district is working to create a structure that will allow teachers and students to rapidly move as needed between full-time, hybrid and remote learning models.

When Fairfield was first classified as a red alert town — on Oct. 22 and with a daily rate of 19.6 cases — the school system announced it would pull back its earlier plan to fully reopen elementary schools in November. In recent weeks, the town had dropped to the orange zone of between 10 and 14.9 daily cases per 100,000 people, before returning to the red zone Thursday.

Fairfield Public Schools reported 15 cases Thursday: three each at Fairfield Ludlowe High School and Roger Ludlowe Middle School; two each at Fairfield Warde High School and Fairfield Woods Middle School; and a single case at Burr, McKinley, North Stratfield, Dwight and Holland Hill elementary schools, respectively.

As of Thursday, 46 students and staff had the virus, another 69 had recovered, and 219 staff members and students were in quarantine, according to the district.