Dear East Granby School Staff and Families,
Happy New Year!
Let me bring you up to date with the recent number of COVID-19 positive cases involving school staff and students.
For the week of 12/20 - 12/26: There were zero individuals reported to us with COVID-19.
For the week of 12/27 - 1/2/2021: There were three individuals at the high school who tested positive, one at the district level, and two individuals quarantining due to those cases.
For the week of 1/3 - 1/9/2021: There was one high school individual, two middle school individuals, and one district employee who tested positive. Due to the vacation week, anyone quarantining due to those exposures were contact traced outside school.
The COVID-19 Dashboard is updated weekly: https://eastgranby.ss11.sharpschool.com/for_parents/covid-19_information_resources/c_o_v_i_d-19_dashboard
Additionally, below are changes to COVID-19 Addendums:
Updated Addendums
Addendum 5, Scenarios in Connecticut's Schools Districts, and Addendum 9, Contact Tracing Scenarios in Schools, are both attached below. The major shift in these addendums is the decrease to the quarantine period from 14 days to 10 days. There is also an option for a test-out of quarantine no sooner than Day 5 for a person who has been identified as exposed or as a close contact. Every scenario has a flowchart of options depending on each situation and requires close monitoring of the individual through the 14 days. Even with these changes to the addendums, the State has given local health and school districts the option to remain with 14 days of quarantining or decrease to 10 days. As we have consistently done all along, our district administrators are collaborating with the Farmington Valley Health and School Districts to implement the same practice across the Valley as much as possible. At this point, a final decision has not been made, so until further notice, we will remain with a 14 day quarantine period for individuals identified as a close contact.
Executive Order Regarding Travel: Pursuant to Governor Lamont's Executive Order No. 9S, anyone traveling into Connecticut from a state or territory, other than New York, New Jersey, or Rhode Island, or from a country other than the United States, is directed to self-quarantine for a 10-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state or country. This Executive Order also includes a test alternative to the quarantine. Information specific to testing alternatives begins with Question 16 of the FAQ list: https://portal.ct.gov/coronavirus/travel
Finally, based on this week's meeting with the Farmington Valley Health District and the Farmington Valley school nurses, nurses were directed to be extremely proactive when responding to any symptom, regardless how minor it may seem, related to COVID-19. The timing of testing and isolation is very important to avoid a wide range of exposure to others. We are seeing a rise in the number of positive cases that begin with upper respiratory symptoms, many times minor, such as a runny nose. While I recognize this can be an inconvenience, it is essential that we support our nurses to carry out the guidance provided to them by our health district. A large number of cases over the past week are a result of "small" gatherings with inconsistent mask wearing. Please continue to practice safe mitigation strategies in your personal lives for your family and for our community.
I wish you a wonderful weekend!
Best,
Missy Bavaro