By Jarret Liotta

WESTPORT — As they gear up for the start of a new school year on Aug. 31, the Board of Education continues to closely watch the state of health in the district and the nation at large.

Suzanne Levasseur, supervisor of health services, shared an update at the Monday night special meeting, including some background on the emerging COVID-19 Delta variant.

“It’s up 500 percent nationally,” she said, with an ever-increasing number of the reported COVID cases being of that variety—up from 62% to 82% in the last two weeks.

More than 99% of those who have been hospitalized for it have not been vaccinated, however, she said.

“The good news locally in Connecticut and certainly in Westport is that we have good vaccination rates,” Levasseur said, with around 70% of the town’s population having received it.

Levasseur said that, according to the Westport-Weston Health District, Westport had 13 reported cases for the week of July 20-26.

The week of July 27 to Aug. 2 she said they reported 12 cases, and four of them were from people who were supposedly fully vaccinated.

At this time she said the recommendation to have students wear masks inside the school building is still standing, though it could possibly change.

“And that will be a national recommendation,” Levasseur said, through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Good news, however, is that there will be no outdoor masks requirements, including activities.

“It’s not easily transmitted outside, so that’s a good thing,” she said.

“Fall sports are a go and they expect there will be a full season of fall sports,” Levasseur said.

Superintendent of School Thomas Scarice acknowledged that things continue to change very quickly, but said the district would be much better prepared to face last-minute changes, versus last year’s scramble.

Last year, he said, the district had to prepare for issues around live streaming and virtual instruction, but dealing with the mask mandate will be much simpler.