Guilford High School Student Tests Positive For Coronavirus

GUILFORD, CT — As its neighbor school district announced its first positive case of coronavirus, there is also a confirmed case at Guilford High School, according to superintendent Dr. Paul Freeman.

In a letter to families Wednesday, Freeman wrote that a GHS student has tested positive for COVID-19. Freeman said the student was told by the Guilford Health Department to "remain home in isolation for 10 days, and has been provided with additional instructions to follow prior to returning to school. Family members have also been instructed to self-quarantine and get tested."

Freeman said the student was last in school Friday. He said after contract tracing, town health officials "identified a small number of people" the student was in contact with and all are being contacted by the health department. They will be told to stay home for 14 days since the last time they were around the student in person to see if they develop symptoms. If they do get symptoms they are advised to call their healthcare provider and the Guilford Health Department to discuss being tested for COVID-19.

Close contact is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as being within 6 feet of someone with COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes.

Freeman said the student has no siblings in other schools, did not ride a school bus and did not participate in any after-school activities.

"Because of the limited number of people who came in close contact with the student and following guidance from the Guilford Health Department and the school district’s advising physician, Guilford High School and all of our schools will remain open in the hybrid learning model as planned," Freeman said adding schools will "closely monitor this situation" and work with the health department and the district's advising physician.