Fairfield Ludlowe Student Tests Positive For Coronavirus

FAIRFIELD, CT — A Fairfield Ludlowe High School student has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a message from Fairfield Public Schools.

The positive test marks the first coronavirus case in the school district since classes resumed under a hybrid model two weeks ago, Director of Communications Andrea Clark confirmed.

The student who tested positive had not been in the school building in the 72 hours prior to the announcement of the case Tuesday, the message said, nor had the student been in close contact with anyone in the school community in the two days before they were tested.

Ludlowe students and staff do not need to quarantine and the school will remain open, according to the message, which was sent to families and employees across the district.

“The safety of our community is our priority,” said the message, attributed to superintendent Mike Cummings and COVID-19 health and safety compliance liaison Angelus Papageorge. “We are monitoring this situation closely and will continue to keep you informed of any changes or additional information.”

In addition to the positive case, one Fairfield student and one staff member were quarantined as of Monday due to virus exposure outside the school district, Clark confirmed.

Several neighboring districts have also been affected by the coronavirus since classes resumed in recent weeks, after Connecticut students ended the previous academic year learning remotely due to the pandemic. Schools in Trumbull, Westport and Bridgeport have undergone temporary closures related to the virus. In Fairfield, increasing case numbers at Sacred Heart University have led school officials to acknowledge the possibility of a switch to remote learning.

As of Monday, Fairfield had a total of 770 confirmed and probable virus cases, according to state data, up from 754 on Sept. 8, the first day of school in town.