Nine FES community members have tested positive for COVID-19 since Tuesday, December 1st. Five of which are staff members, and four are students. Two of the cases came from cohorts where there was a recent positive of COVID-19, which raises the possibility of in-school transmission within the FES building.
We have received questions as a result of these recent cases, two of which we want to take the opportunity to address in this communication:
Why is the FES community learning of positive cases days after the person has exposed others in the building?
As soon as our team is alerted to a positive COVID-19 case, we take immediate action. There are situations in which there is a delay in receiving test results, and the school/district received notification of an individual who was positive in the building many days prior. As an example, if an individual has symptoms on a Friday and stays home from school, and gets tested on a Saturday, it can take several days for the results to come back. We may not have positive results until the following Tuesday or Wednesday, and contact tracing efforts must then begin for this individual's time in the school building on the previous Wednesday and Thursday. With this said and example provided, please rest assured that there is no delay on the district’s part in notifying the school community, and conducting contact tracing efforts.
Are there breakdowns in health and safety mitigation efforts (e.g. mask wearing, social distancing, use of plexiglass in small spaces, and group gatherings) that have contributed to these recent positive cases?
We have reviewed our mitigation efforts in the FES building and have not discovered any breakdowns in protocols. FES staff and students have adhered to required health and safety practices. There have been no gatherings of staff in the building. For example, at a recent PTA sponsored breakfast, staff were provided pre wrapped items, and received them over the course of one hour while maintaining social distancing with masks supervised by building administrators to ensure adherence to protocols. We are incredibly proud of our faculty, staff and students for their resilience and adherence to the required protocols.
In response to this cluster of cases we are taking several actions.
- The FES building will remain closed to students and staff for 14 days starting today per Addendum 9 Guidance from the CT Department of Public Health and on the advice of Town of Ridgefield Health Department Director, Ed Briggs.
- Custodial staff will do an enhanced cleaning of the entire building.
- As an added precaution we are recommending that everyone who has spent time in the FES building since Dec 7th be tested for COVID-19.
- We will be hosting a live question and answer session for FES families with myself, interim Principal Traci Mayette and Dr. Da Silva on Monday, December 21 at 1pm.
When a cluster of cases like this appears, understandably, it causes anxiety. We are here to answer your questions and appreciate your partnership in keeping our schools as safe as possible. I am available to speak with you by phone to answer any questions you may have, please email me to set up an appointment to talk. Please wear a mask, wash your hands, and keep your distance.