3 New Coronavirus Cases At High School, 18 Quarantined

MADISON, CT - Three Daniel Hand High School community members tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. They’ve been told to stay home. And 18 people have been identified as “close contacts” and must remain in quarantine for 14 days.

Schools interim superintendent JeanAnn Paddyfoote said that after “investigation and consultation with the affected individuals, the District Administration and Department of Public Health feel confident that Madison Public Schools can remain open.”

The District has followed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance as it pertains to close contacts, she wrote in a message to families. A close contact is defined as being within six feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes, Paddyfoote wrote.

“At this time, we have not received any other reports of staff or students who have experienced symptoms or signs of illness and have determined these cases are not a result of school-based transmission,” she said.

Paddyfoote explained to families that, “If you or your student are determined to be a close contact of a positive case, you will receive a phone call from a school administrator. If a positive case requires close contacts within our school community to self quarantine, the entire MPS community will be informed of the positive case(s) via an eNotify sent by the District.”

“Our priority is the health and safety of all members of our school community,” she said noting that families need to do “daily health screenings before sending students to school.”

Information regarding the home screening can be found on our district website.