First In-School Transmission Of Coronavirus Confirmed In Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — District officials reported the first case of an in-school transmission of the coronavirus in Stamford Public Schools this week.

Superintendent Tamu Lucero confirmed the case in a letter sent to staff Thursday afternoon, however she did not specify at which school the transmission occurred. District officials declined to identify the school Friday afternoon.

Lucero indicated the transmission occurred between a student and staff member, but did not specify which individual transmitted the original positive case. (To sign up for Stamford breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

"Please know that this case was likely the result of the need for the two individuals, the original positive case and the close contact who has now tested positive, to be closer than six feet apart in order to support the student, as per the staff member's job responsibilities," the letter reads.

Lucero said the district will continue to "actively monitor" positive cases of the virus within the district.

She also noted if another case of a transmission is discovered in one the district's schools, despite all protocols being strictly followed, officials will "consider temporarily transitioning to remote learning at that school" for a specific period of time.

"Given the unique circumstance of this incident," the letter reads, "it is not recommended we do so at this time."

Lucero reminded all staff members to utilize additional personal protective equipment, including shields, specialized masks, gowns and barriers, provided by the district if their position requires them to be closer than six feet to someone for an extended period of time.

According to the district's "COVID-19 Dashboard" tracker, there have been a total of 181 confirmed positive cases of the virus in the district since the start of the academic year, with 47 new cases reported in the past week. The tracker was last updated Thursday afternoon.