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COVID-19: 'Omicron's A Different Animal,' Says Expert, Sounding Alarm Over In-Person Learning COVID-19: 'Omicron's A Different Animal,' Says Expert, Sounding Alarm Over In-Person Learning
Covid-19: 'Omicron's A Different Animal,' Says Expert, Sounding Alarm Over In-Person Learning A pediatrician who is an expert on disease and vaccine development is sounding the alarm about the ability of schools to resume in-person learning during the height of the new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic sparked by a surge of cases from the highly contagious Omicron variant. Connecticut native Dr. Peter Hotez is the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development. "Here's the problem," Hotez said in an interview on MSNBC Wednesday morning, Dec. 29. "We're kind of going off ol…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
COVID-19: American Federation Of Teachers President Calls For Full School Reopenings In Fall COVID-19: American Federation Of Teachers President Calls For Full School Reopenings In Fall
Covid-19: American Federation Of Teachers President Calls For Full School Reopenings In Fall The head of the second-largest teachers union in the United States is calling on a full return to five-day-a-week in-person learning at all schools in the fall, declaring that her organization was “all-in.” In an address posted on social media, Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers said that with more and more Americans becoming eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, it is imperative that schools fully reopen for students and staff during the next academic year. “Conditions have changed,” she said. "We can and we must reopen schools in the fall for in-person te…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: US Education Secretary Touts Success Of Local School District In Visit To Westchester COVID-19: US Education Secretary Touts Success Of Local School District In Visit To Westchester
Covid-19: US Education Secretary Touts Success Of Local School District In Visit To Westchester United States Education Secretary Miguel Cardona took his “Help is Here” school reopening tour to the Hudson Valley with a visit to one of the region’s largest high schools. Cardona, the former Education Commissioner for the State of Connecticut, came to Westchester for a pair of events at White Plains High School on Thursday, April 22 and praised how the district was navigating the return to in-person learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Department of Education, during the "Help is Here" tour, Cardona visits schools that have "successfully reopened and stayed open to highl…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: CDC Issues New Guidance On Social Distancing For Students COVID-19: CDC Issues New Guidance On Social Distancing For Students
Covid-19: CDC Issues New Guidance On Social Distancing For Students The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has issued new guidance on social distancing in schools. The agency announced late Friday morning, March 19 that students can sit 3 feet apart instead of 6 feet as long as they are wearing masks. The move will allow for more desks in classrooms and a more stable schedule for students. The new guidance, for K-12 students, includes all communities, regardless of whether the transmission rate is substantial, moderate, or low, according to the CDC. The announcement comes following a study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Disea…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: CDC Releases New Guidance, Strategies For Reopening Schools COVID-19: CDC Releases New Guidance, Strategies For Reopening Schools
Covid-19: CDC Releases New Guidance, Strategies For Reopening Schools The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging schools and school districts to reopen safely and has just released new guidance for doing just that. On Friday, Feb. 12, the CDC unveiled the new science-based plan. “It is critical for schools to open as safely and as soon as possible, and remain open, to achieve the benefits of in-person learning and key support services,” health officials said. “To enable schools to open safely and remain open, it is important to adopt and consistently implement actions to slow the spread of COVID in schools and in the community.” The…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing For CT Commissioner Named By Biden To Be Education Secretary Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing For CT Commissioner Named By Biden To Be Education Secretary
Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing For CT Commissioner Named By Biden To Be Education Secretary Connecticut Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona appeared before the Senate’s education committee on Wednesday, Feb. 3 for a confirmation hearing after being nominated to serve as the United States' Education Secretary by President Joe Biden. Cardona, a lifelong Meriden resident, was announced as a choice to join Biden’s Cabinet as Education Secretary in late December. If nominated, the 45-year-old Cardona will be tasked with overseeing one of Biden’s key goals for his first 100 days by re-opening the majority of the nation’s elementary and middle schools for in-person learning. Before d…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New Studies Shed Light On Connection Between Reopening Schools, Virus Cases COVID-19: New Studies Shed Light On Connection Between Reopening Schools, Virus Cases
Covid-19: New Studies Shed Light On Connection Between Reopening Schools, Virus Cases Despite a recent rise in COVID-19 cases across the nation in the past two months, there may not be as large a correlation between the new cases and schools reopening in the fall, according to newly released studies. International researchers found that there is no consistent relationship between the spread of the virus and the opening of in-person K-12 learning in a pair of newly released studies. According to NPR, a third study in the United States also found that there is no elevated risk of contracting COVID-19 for childcare workers who returned to the classroom. The report found that t…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: School District In Fairfield County Staying Hybrid After Rise In Cases COVID-19: School District In Fairfield County Staying Hybrid After Rise In Cases
Covid-19: School District In Fairfield County Staying Hybrid After Rise In Cases A recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the region will keep students in a Fairfield County school district sticking to a hybrid learning plan. During a special Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 13, Westport Superintendent Thomas Scarice said that it could be weeks until students return to a normal schedule due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. Scarice said that the district will stay the course for four to six weeks, at which point they will assess the COVID-19 situation throughout Connecticut before making a decision.  He also expressed concerns about a possible second wave of…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Photo Of HS Students At Large Gathering In Fairfield County Sparks Concerns COVID-19: Photo Of HS Students At Large Gathering In Fairfield County Sparks Concerns
Covid-19: Photo Of HS Students At Large Gathering In Fairfield County Sparks Concerns Some in Fairfield County are concerned after photos of dozens of teenage high school students failing to socially distance during the COVID-19 pandemic circulated online. The photo of students reportedly gathering for a scavenger hunt - an unofficial annual tradition for seniors - was first posted on Facebook, then went viral online, sparking concerns as schools are nearing their reopening dates. Following a Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 25, the district announced that it has canceled the two half days that were scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 26, and Friday, Aug. 28 that had be…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: CDC Issues New Guidance On Reopening Schools COVID-19: CDC Issues New Guidance On Reopening Schools
Covid-19: CDC Issues New Guidance On Reopening Schools A host of new guidance on reopening schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic has just been released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More detailed recommendations on selected topics the CDC had previously only provided a few sentences on have now been added. In the new guidelines, published Friday, Aug. 21, the CDC said it "does not currently recommend universal symptom screenings (screening all students grades K-12) be conducted by schools," but did not add a specific reason. Schools should develop an "emergency operations plan" for daily monitoring of COVID and res…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
COVID-19: Former FDA Chief Who Lives In Fairfield County Warns CT Schools Could Close Again COVID-19: Former FDA Chief Who Lives In Fairfield County Warns CT Schools Could Close Again
Covid-19: Former FDA Chief Who Lives In Fairfield County Warns CT Schools Could Close Again While Connecticut has seen success in battling the spread of COVID-19, some leading health officials are warning that even if schools reopen in the fall, they could be subject to another shutdown. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration who lives in Fairfield County and has children in Connecticut public schools, said during a briefing with Gov. Ned Lamont this week that there could be potential interruptions during the school year due to the virus. Related story - COVID-19: Connecticut On Target For Full Reopening Of Schools, Lamont Says “I…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: CT Releases Preliminary Fall Reopening Plan For Schools COVID-19: CT Releases Preliminary Fall Reopening Plan For Schools
Covid-19: CT Releases Preliminary Fall Reopening Plan For Schools Connecticut students will return to schools statewide come this fall, though classrooms will have a different look, according to state officials. Gov. Ned Lamont and state Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona laid out the basic metrics for schools and parents as Connecticut plans to reopen in the fall with a full five-day school week for students, albeit with restrictions in place, at a news conference late Thursday afternoon, June 25 in Hartford. “Our kids have not been in a classroom for months now,” Lamont said. “This is a long break, and they’ll be coming back in August and September.”…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: CT To Unveil 'First Draft' Fall Plan For Schools This Week COVID-19: CT To Unveil 'First Draft' Fall Plan For Schools This Week
Covid-19: CT To Unveil 'First Draft' Fall Plan For Schools This Week A "first draft" fall plan for schools in Connecticut will be unveiled this week. Gov. Ned Lamont announced the plan will be rolled out on Thursday, June 25. It will include preliminary guidance to school districts from the state Department of Education on how to reopen.  The plan will reportedly call for a five-day week for kindergarten through 12th grade with guidelines for when mask use is required and how bus service will be structured. "We are doing a lot of with distance learning online, but there is nothing like the classroom," Lamont said. In another development, certain…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
New Fairfield Public Schools To Reopen On Wednesday New Fairfield Public Schools To Reopen On Wednesday
New Fairfield Public Schools To Reopen On Wednesday With crews continuing to work around the clock to clean up from last week’s storm that uprooted trees and downed utility lines, schools in New Fairfield are set to reopen on Wednesday after being forced to shutter its doors for five days. As of 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, more than a week after the storm struck, 1,244 of Eversource’s 1,270,056 customers remained without power, including 410 in New Fairfield. Alicia Roy, the New Fairfield Superintendent of Schools said that due to classes being canceled for five days, schools will be forced to be open until the last week of June to meet th…

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by Zak Failla