Warde, Ludlowe Closed Again Tuesday; 500 Quarantined Across FPS

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield Warde and Fairfield Ludlowe high schools will be closed Tuesday for the second day in a row as contact tracing continues for several new coronavirus cases, officials said, noting the school district has encountered problems with students disobeying stay-at-home rules.

Seven cases were reported at Warde and four cases were reported at Ludlowe on Monday and over the weekend, according to a message from Superintendent Mike Cummings and COVID-19 Health and Safety Compliance Liaison Angelus Papageorge. Students participated in remote learning Monday and will do so Tuesday as well.

“With the current uptick in community cases in Fairfield and the increasing incidence of more contagious variants in the state, our ability to contact trace and quickly shift learning modes has become even more important,” the message said. “Not sharing the names of close contacts is not protecting them, it puts them and many others at risk.”

In a few cases, students have stayed home from school for virus-related reasons but then participated in athletics, clubs or activities the same day.

“Staying home from school when you are not feeling well, have symptoms or are awaiting test results, also means that you need to stay home from all group activities,” the message said. “You are putting everyone in these groups at risk.”

Students are required to quarantine if they spend 15 cumulative minutes over 24 hours within 6 feet of a person who tests positive for the virus.

As of Monday, 527 students and 15 staff members were in quarantine district-wide, according to district data, while 40 students and five staff members had recently tested positive.

In addition to the closures of Warde and Ludlowe, certain classes at Burr, Holland Hill and Sherman elementary schools are quarantined as well.