Schools Near 300 Cases: 24 Staff Now Either In Quarantine Or Ill

EAST HAVEN, CT —As the state sees a spike in COVID-19 cases in part due to coronavirus variants, so too are case numbers apparently spiking in East Haven schools. Since just Monday, 14 new positive cases were reported in the district.

As the total cumulative case number in East Haven schools fast approaching the 300 mark, across the district, as of Thursday, there are 16 staff members in quarantine as they were identified as close contacts of someone who tested positive for the disease. And, there are eight staff members currently out who tested positive for COVID-19, schools Superintendent Erica Forti told Patch.

Forti noted however, that 11 of the 16 staff members in quarantine will return to school Monday. And three of the eight who are COVID-19 positive also return to work Monday, she said.

She also noted that school staff members are not just teachers, rather includes paraprofessionals, support staff, secretaries, custodians, nurses, security guards, administrators, technicians, maintenance workers, bus drivers and cafeteria workers.

According to the COVID-19 case tracker on the schools website, the district has now 284 cases of COVID-19, of which 85 are among schools staff members. One hundred-ninety-nine students have tested positive.

As of Thursday afternoon, 120 students and staff are in quarantine.