New Canaan Coronavirus: Schools To Close For 14 Days

NEW CANAAN, CT — After news surfaced that an elderly New Canaan man tested positive for the coronavirus, New Canaan Public Schools announced that they will be closed for the next 14 calendar days.

"In conjunction with the New Canaan Health Department and medical advisors, NCPS is taking precautionary measures regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and will be closed beginning Thursday, March 12, 2020. All NCPS pre-school and afterschool events and programs as well as athletic events are being suspended at this time," school officials said.

"The district has been making e-learning preparations in the event of school closure, and teachers will be starting these programs remotely with their students beginning Friday, March 13, 2020. Thursday, March 12, 2020, will be categorized as a snow day," officials added.

“By continuing to take good care of ourselves, our families, and each other, we will continue successfully navigating the issues and challenges ahead,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi, in a message sent to the NCPS community this afternoon. “In all that we do and every decision we make, the health and wellness of our school community will always be our true north and unwavering guide.” (To sign up for New Canaan breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

Additionally, the private New Canaan Country School, St. Luke's School and St. Aloysius School announced they also are closing under similar terms as the public schools.

In the letter to parents, Luizzi adds that "While going into a fourteen-day closure will inevitably be disruptive, our faculty and staff have been working tirelessly over the past weeks to prepare for this scenario; thanks to their commitment to our students and families, I’m proud to say our district is ready."

"We have prepared for this scenario by coming together as a district to develop plans that provide our students with a continuing educational experience during the closure. These plans will be shared by your building principals in subsequent communications. As with any large-scale program, there are likely to be some glitches as things get underway; with this realization, we have developed systems of support for our staff and our students, and we are confident we will be able to resolve problems if/when they arise. We are committed to doing everything within our power to ensure every student has a productive, positive, and meaningful experience.

"Like you, we were hoping that we would not have to close our schools. As we all know, however, hope is not a strategy, and thanks to the dedication and commitment of our faculty and staff we are facing this unknown situation with a clear and effective strategy in hand. We will remain in continual contact throughout the closure, and I encourage you to reach out to me or your building principals with any questions or concerns," wrote Luizzi.

An elderly man from New Canaan was infected through community transmission, state department of public health epidemiologist Dr. Matthew Cartter said. The man is being treated at Norwalk Hospital.

He also said that the virus is spreading and soon, there will be no press conferences to announce the positive cases there will be "many."

"What we're going through is incredibly difficult. We've not seen a pandemic like this in 100 years. We've never been through anything quite like this ...crossing the world and now in the US and now in Connecticut," Cartter said. "These are challenging times. But there are things we can do to slow it down.

The man who is the third case lives at home, the state is working with local heath department to locate his contacts to tell them to stay at home or if ill, get tested.

Cartter said that "within a week there will be so many cases" there will not be press briefings, especially in the southwestern part of the state where it borders with Westchester County: "People go back and forth."

"It will only be a matter of time before this will be widespread through Connecticut. If you have fever, cough assume you have COVID especially in that part of the state.

He said testing is only being done on those who are hospitalized for acute respirator illnesses that comes with fever, shortness of breath and coughing.

The state lab has tested 74 specimens so far with three positive and 16 "pending."

To make testing more widely available, the state health department is working on getting alternate sites approved at local hospitals at locations around the state. Those hospitals will work with commercial testing labs by Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp to complete the testing. Additional information on these testing sites are expected to be announced in the coming days.
Individuals who believe they might be experiencing COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough, or difficulty breathing should first contact a healthcare provider for screening, unless in need of emergency medical care. The healthcare provider will advise the patient on whether a test is recommended.