WESTPORT — As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, Westport’s schools chief Saturday announced newly updated policies designed to curb burgeoning infections among students and staff — in addition to the previously announced one-day delay to the start of classes following the holiday break now set for Jan. 4.

This latest update from Supt. of Schools Thomas Scarice includes plans for a potential testing clinic Monday for students and their families, and re-expanding the existing school mask mandate to include teachers at the head of classrooms.

As of Saturday, there are 312 people, including students and staff, in the school district identified as having the virus, according to data posted on its dashboard.

“Maintaining the health and safety of our students and staff, while keeping our students in school and engaged in all of their programs, remains our priority,” Scarice said in the Saturday statement.

Scarice said there will be another update on the return to school before Monday.

COVID testing clinic tentatively planned

Plans are taking shape for a testing clinic for all the town’s public school students and their families on Monday, Jan. 3, Scarice said.

Tentatively, the tests will be administered at the Staples High School fieldhouse — at a time to be announced — by Progressive Diagnostics. If it goes forward, appointments will be scheduled by Progressive through an on-line scheduler, and families’ insurance will be billed.

Registration will take place via a link provided later, he said.

Mask mandate tightened

Masks are required for all students and staff under an executive order issued by Gov. Ned Lamont, but the rule was loosened last fall allowing teachers at the front of a classroom to dispense with a mask in that setting.

That has now been revoked, Scarice said.

In addition, he underscored the state’s recent re-imposition of the rule that all student athletes continuously wear masks during competitions

Scarice also said the school district anticipates a shipment of N95 masks from the State for staff use.

Isolation guidelines changed

The state Department of Public Health notified all of the state’s superintendents Friday that the state has adopted changes to the isolation, quarantine and contact tracing guidelines.  

Under those changes, students and staff who test positive for COVID-19:

• Should isolate at home for at least five days or longer if symptoms develop and persist.
• Wear a mask for the subsequent five days at all times when around others.
• Return to school on or after the sixth day if symptoms have resolved and they have been fever free for at least 24 hours without fever reducing medication.

Previously, the isolation period was 10 days. 

A child who tested positive on or before Dec. 29 can return to school on Jan. 4 if they are symptom free. Students who have tested positive after Dec. 29 should remain home and isolate for five days and return to school on the sixth day if symptom free, the superintendent said.

Contact tracing and quarantine practices

“Individual level contact tracing is less effective when community transmission is high,” Scarice said. “Furthermore, this process further taxes our nurse and health staff, and our building administrators, to a point that it becomes more challenging to attend to the needs of the students currently in school.”

State public health officials have determined that routine contact tracing within the school buildings and during supervised activities can be discontinued.  

“Our priority will be early identification of positive cases and assuring appropriate isolation,” Scarice said.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated students and staff (defined as having only one dose of a two dose vaccine or being within two weeks of the final dose) experiencing an exposure outside of school will:

• Quarantine for five days from school and other activities.
• Obtain a test on the fifth day with either an at-home or lab test.
• Return to school wearing a mask at all times when with others for up to 10 days.

Vaccinated school staff and students with an exposure outside of school may:

• Continue with in person learning.
• Test with either an at home or lab test on the fifth day.

• Wear a mask at all times.

Support for students in isolation or quarantine

“Part of the work over the vacation period and this coming Monday will be to provide as many supports for students in isolation or quarantine as possible,” Scarice said. “More information will be forthcoming at the end of the day on Monday on this effort.”

Notification of positive cases

When a positive case is identified, elementary classroom notifications will be made as well as grade level and school notifications, he said.

“As the numbers of cases remain high we will continue to report district numbers daily and maintain the district dashboard. This work is very demanding and might not be entirely accurate at a given moment,” he added.

Lunch: Greater distancing whenever possible

• Officials will try to ensure additional spacing takes place between students during lunch at all levels.
• Calling this “very challenging,” Scarice said “yet our school based teams will continue to put thought into how to further ‘de-densify’ our lunch settings.  

Vaccinations

The superintendent reiterated his support for all eligible students and families to be vaccinated.

“We encourage all families that have not already done so, to get vaccinations and boosters six months after the last vaccinations of Pfizer and Moderna [vaccines] and two months after J&J vaccine 

“It is anticipated that the FDA will authorize boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds this week,” Scarice said.

Even mild symptoms such as headache, fatigue and nasal congestion can be signs of COVID-19, he said, adding

“Stay home, test for COVID-19 with either an at home or lab test and remain home until you are symptom free for at least 24 hours.”