Lamont Provides Guidance for Decision Making Regarding School Reopening, COVID Flare-up in Danbury, Outbreak at Nursing Home in Norwich

In Governor Lamont's COVID-19 update today, Thursday, August 20, he provided guidance for decision-making regarding the use of in-person, hybrid (blended), or remote learning models in Connecticut schools during COVID-19.

Lamont says the metric the State is looking at for a safe school reopening is "the 7 day average per 100,000 population". "We have said that 10 per 100,000 is the breakpoint where we would need to adjust how we reopen schools. Right now 3.3 is the highest so we are way below those metrics."

As you can see from the chart (and in the video) Fairfield County is highest among Connecticut counties at 3.3 "due in part to a small flare-up of COVID cases in Danbury," says Lamont. 

You can watch the video here beginning at 4:48) to hear Lamont's Safe School Reopening information.

Below is an excerpt of today's press release regarding the reopening of schools:

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) and State Department of Education (SDE) have developed a framework and key metrics based on a combination of considerations to guide local district decision-making on the use of remote versus in-person learning for the fall. This includes indicators of the spread and prevalence of COVID-19 in the community, as well as the physical and operational ability of schools to implement strategies to mitigate spread.

Adapted from recommendations by the Harvard Global Institute and supplemented by existing DPH measures, DPH and SDE recommend using the number of new cases, adjusted for population, as the key leading metric for community spread with suggested thresholds for differential risk categories.

Each week, DPH, SDE, and local health departments will review the public health data and make any recommended changes between the “low,” “moderate,” and “high” categories by county. Leading and secondary indicators will also be updated by DPH on a weekly basis.

The data is published online and made available as part of the State of Connecticut’s Open Data portal.

The “low” and “moderate” categories indicate conditions in the area are appropriate for schools to provide at least a partial in-school option to students.

For districts in the “low” or “moderate” categories that decide not to provide an in-school option, an exception review is required from a panel with representatives from the SDE, DPH, and the State Board of Education.

As district and building-level decisions will ultimately be made at the local level, superintendents should consider developing an advisory group consisting of their school medical advisor, local health director, and school nurse leader to consult and inform decision-making.


Department of Public Health investigating COVID-19 outbreak at Three Rivers Nursing Home in Norwich

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) is investigating a COVID-19 outbreak at Three Rivers Nursing Home in Norwich that so far has resulted in the infections of 13 residents and two staff members. One resident has since died, and several are hospitalized.

“This unfortunate outbreak underscores the need for all of us to keep our guard up in the fight against COVID-19,” Acting Public Health Commissioner Deidre S. Gifford, MD MPH, said. “COVID is still present in our communities and the virus can spread quickly if we do not remain vigilant about controlling the infection. DPH is conducting an analysis to determine how the virus may have been introduced into Three Rivers, and we are investigating all aspects of this facility’s infection control practices, including appropriate cohorting, PPE use by staff, and appropriate staff screening.”

As part of the investigation, DPH also is assessing the facility’s level of compliance with the governor’s Executive Order No. 7AAA, which mandates weekly testing for all nursing home staff. The state’s weekly staff testing mandate is an important tool for preventing and managing COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes.

Any citations that may be issued to this facility after a thorough investigation will be posted online.

Governor Lamont's August 20, 2020 4PM Coronavirus ...

R
Submitted by Redding, CT

Become a Local Voice in Your Community!

HamletHub invites you to contribute stories, events, and more to keep your neighbors informed and connected.

Read Next