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COVID-19: Lamont Tests Positive COVID-19: Lamont Tests Positive
Covid-19: Lamont Tests Positive Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced he has tested positive for COVID-19. Lamont said he received his positive test on Thursday, April 7, and that he was not experiencing symptoms.  "I wanted you to hear straight from me that I tested positive for COVID-19 today," Lamont tweeted. "I feel good and I’m not experiencing any symptoms. We’ve done contact tracing to let people know. Thankfully I’m double boosted and I encourage everyone to get your vaccine and boosters if eligible." I wanted you to hear straight from me that I tested positive for COVID-19 today. I feel good and I’m not expe…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: Beware Of Scam Calls About Exposure, CT DOH Says COVID-19: Beware Of Scam Calls About Exposure, CT DOH Says
Covid-19: Beware Of Scam Calls About Exposure, CT DOH Says The Connecticut Department of Health is cautioning of opportunistic fraudsters who have been posing as purported COVID-19 contact tracers as part of a more elaborate scam. An alert was issued by the DOH after the Fairfield Health Department in Fairfield County advised that they had received a dozen calls from Connecticut residents in the past two weeks who were instructed to call a number regarding potential COVID-19 exposure. Officials said that none of the people contacted had been in Fairfield, and none were in the DPH ContaCT system, which tracks those who may have been exposed to the …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
COVID-19: CT Releases Guidance For Proms, Graduations COVID-19: CT Releases Guidance For Proms, Graduations
Covid-19: CT Releases Guidance For Proms, Graduations As the end of the school year grows near and students are dreaming of proms and graduation ceremonies, Connecticut state officials have released guidelines on how to limit the spread of COVID-19. State officials from the Department of Education and Department of Public Health have released a three-page document, that stresses the importance of many of the key preventions that have been in place for the past year including mask-wearing, social distancing, hand sanitizing, and limiting groups size for events. They are also asking school districts to have rapid contact tracing in place an…

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by Kathy Reakes
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
Schools
COVID-19: Six New Cases Reported At Westport School District COVID-19: Six New Cases Reported At Westport School District
Covid-19: Six New Cases Reported At Westport School District A Fairfield County school district is reporting several new cases of COVID-19 that have been confirmed in students and staffers. Westport Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice issued a notice to the community on Monday, Jan. 25 advising that there have been six new COVID-19 cases reported within the district. Four new cases were reported at Long Lots Elementary School, with one each at Saugatuck Elementary School and Staples High School. No school closures have been announced as a result of the new cases. Contact tracing is in progress and anyone who may have been exposed will be notified …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Four New Cases Reported At School District In Fairfield County COVID-19: Four New Cases Reported At School District In Fairfield County
Covid-19: Four New Cases Reported At School District In Fairfield County New COVID-19 cases have been confirmed within a Fairfield County school district as the pandemic continues raging throughout Connecticut. Officials in the Ridgefield Public School District announced that four new cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed at the Ridgefield High School and Farmingville Elementary School, with two cases each in both buildings. It was not clear whether the new infections were in students and staffers. Aaron Crook, the district’s COVID-19 health and safety compliance liaison said that it is possible there was some school transmission, though “there is a potential so…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Connecticut's First Cases Of UK 'Super Strain' Confirmed COVID-19: Connecticut's First Cases Of UK 'Super Strain' Confirmed
Covid-19: Connecticut's First Cases Of UK 'Super Strain' Confirmed The new, more-transmittable so-called "Super Strain" of COVID-19 that made its way overseas from the United Kingdom has now made its way to Connecticut. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said on Thursday, Jan. 7, health officials confirmed the first two cases in the state of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, which is the same variant that was initially discovered in the UK and is said to be up to 70 percent from infectious. Both Connecticut patients are between the ages of 15 and 25 and reside in New Haven County. Lamont said that both of the positive cases had traveled outside of Connecticut - one …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Westport School District Reports New Cases COVID-19: Westport School District Reports New Cases
Covid-19: Westport School District Reports New Cases Several new positive COVID-19 cases were confirmed in multiple Fairfield County schools, officials announced. In Westport, four new cases were reported at four different schools: Bedford Middle School, Long Lots Elementary, Staples High School, and Stepping Stone Preschool, Superintendent Thomas Scarice wrote in a notice to parents. Related story - COVID-19: Two New Cases Confirmed In Westport School District “In our efforts to remain transparent with reports of positive Covid-19 cases associated with our schools, we will continue to provide these updates as information is confirmed,” Scar…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Four New Cases Reported At Westport School District COVID-19: Four New Cases Reported At Westport School District
Covid-19: Four New Cases Reported At Westport School District A Fairfield County school district is contending with a new outbreak of COVID-19 cases in a pair of schools. Westport Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice issued a notice to parents on Monday, Nov. 23 cautioning that there were three confirmed COVID-19 cases in Staples High School, two of which were confirmed over the weekend, and the third on Monday. The fourth case was at Green Farms Elementary School, where the student was last in the building on Friday, Nov. 20 before the infection was confirmed on Monday afternoon. Health and district officials have completed contact tracing, and any…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Here's How To Download New CT App Alerting Users If Infected Person Is Near COVID-19: Here's How To Download New CT App Alerting Users If Infected Person Is Near
Covid-19: Here's How To Download New CT App Alerting Users If Infected Person Is Near A new mobile app will notify Connecticut residents when they have been within six feet of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. The COVID Alert CT app is available for both Apple and Android devices and notifies residents if they have been potentially infected without sharing any personal data.  Earlier report - COVID-19: Connecticut App Alerts Users If Infected Person Is Near If an app user contracts COVID-19, a contract tracer will ask if they are willing to share the "close contact" codes their app has accrued during their day-to-day interactions via Bluetooth.&nbs…

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by Christina Coulter
News
COVID-19: Connecticut App Alerts Users If Infected Person Is Near COVID-19: Connecticut App Alerts Users If Infected Person Is Near
Covid-19: Connecticut App Alerts Users If Infected Person Is Near To help stop the spread of COVID-19, Connecticut is encouraging residents to download a new app that will alert them if they have come in contact with someone infected with the virus. The contact-tracing app, COVID Alert CT, is state-run and was launched on Thursday, Nov. 12. The free app is available to Android as well as Apple users. Gov. Ned Lamont said that the app does not share personal data and that it is not a replacement for the state’s contract tracing system - it's a supplement.  “We’re making every effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Connecticut,” Lamont said in a s…

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by Kristin Palpini
Schools
COVID-19: Two Westport Schools Go Remote After Positive Cases COVID-19: Two Westport Schools Go Remote After Positive Cases
Covid-19: Two Westport Schools Go Remote After Positive Cases Two new schools in Fairfield County have switched to remote learning after positive COVID-19 cases. Staples High School and Bedford/Coleytown Middle School in the Westport District will operate on a full remote teaching model for students and staff on both Thursday, Nov. 12, and Friday, Nov. 13. "The decision to move our secondary schools to a remote model for two days came as a result of several individuals testing positive and the subsequent need to quarantine many individuals and continue contact tracing," Westport Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice said in an email to the c…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
COVID-19: New Case Reported At School In Ridgefield COVID-19: New Case Reported At School In Ridgefield
Covid-19: New Case Reported At School In Ridgefield Some 28 students and 16 staff members are in quarantine after coming into contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 at a school in Ridgefield. The new case, at Scotland Elementary School, brings the number of schools in the Ridgefield School district to seven of the nine schools in the district that have been affected by exposure to COVID-19, according to the district's data tracker. The latest announcement was sent by the district's head of nursing services Aaron Crook on Thursday, Nov. 5 in a letter to parents and school officials. According to Crook's letter, the …

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
COVID-19: School In Norwalk Closes For In-Person Learning After Confirmed Case COVID-19: School In Norwalk Closes For In-Person Learning After Confirmed Case
Covid-19: School In Norwalk Closes For In-Person Learning After Confirmed Case Another school in Fairfield County has been forced to transition back to its remote learning model after learning of a newly confirmed COVID-19 case. Late on Thursday, Nov. 5, Norwalk School District officials were notified of a confirmed COVID-19 case at Roton Middle School, forcing them into distance learning on Friday, Nov. 6 as the district and health officials completed contact tracing efforts. Earlier this week, school officials at West Rocks Middle School also announced that a staff member at West Rocks Middle School was in quarantine after testing positive for the virus, prompting t…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Student Tests Positive At Fairfield County Private School COVID-19: Student Tests Positive At Fairfield County Private School
Covid-19: Student Tests Positive At Fairfield County Private School A student at a Fairfield County private school has become the latest to test positive for COVID-19, forcing his class to temporarily transition to remote learning. Irene Maier, the school nurse at St. Luke’s School in New Canaan, said that the faculty was alerted on Monday, Nov. 2 that a student has received a confirmed positive case on Sunday, Nov. 1. The student who tested positive is currently isolating, and the school has four certified contact tracers determining who may have been exposed to the virus. As a result of the positive case, the entire ninth grade was told to stay home on M…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: District In Fairfield County Has Had Cases In Six Of Nine Schools COVID-19: District In Fairfield County Has Had Cases In Six Of Nine Schools
Covid-19: District In Fairfield County Has Had Cases In Six Of Nine Schools A new case of COVID-19 brings the number of schools affected by the virus to six of nine schools at a school district in Fairfield County. The case at Farmingville Elementary School, located in Ridgefield, was announced in a letter on Monday, Nov. 2, by the Ridgefield Public School District's COVID-19 Health and Safety Compliance Liaison Aaron Crook and emailed by Superintendent of Schools Susie Da Silva to parents and staff. Crook said the school is in contact with the health department and is currently in the process of contact tracing for these potential exposures.  …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
COVID-19: New Positive Case Reported At School In Westport COVID-19: New Positive Case Reported At School In Westport
Covid-19: New Positive Case Reported At School In Westport A person at a Fairfield County elementary school has tested positive for COVID-19, causing the school to take special measures. On Monday, Nov. 2, Janna Sirowich, Principal of Coleytown Elementary School, announced by email to parents that the person has been instructed to quarantine at home. Upon learning of the positive COVID-19 case, the administration began immediate contact tracing. Those determined to be “close contacts," including the health office staff at Coleytown Elementary School, have been notified, Sirowich said. "These individuals spent a significant amount of time in the p…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
COVID-19: New Cases Confirmed At Two More Schools In Fairfield County COVID-19: New Cases Confirmed At Two More Schools In Fairfield County
Covid-19: New Cases Confirmed At Two More Schools In Fairfield County There have been two more confirmed COVID-19 cases in a pair of schools. Fairfield Public Schools Superintendent Mike Cummings announced on Wednesday, Oct. 28 that an individual at Fairfield Warde High School and one at Roger Sherman Elementary School have both tested positive for the virus. The two new cases came after several others that were reported across the district, including at Fairfield Ludlowe High School, Dwight Elementary School, and in a fully remote student. Cummings said that contact tracing has been conducted and anyone who may have been exposed is currently under quaranti…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: School Goes Remote In Fairfield County Due To Positive Case COVID-19: School Goes Remote In Fairfield County Due To Positive Case
Covid-19: School Goes Remote In Fairfield County Due To Positive Case Another Fairfield County school is transitioning to its remote learning model due to potential COVID-19 exposure. The Norwalk School District announced that there was a confirmed COVID-19 case at Silvermine Elementary School late on Thursday, Oct. 22, prompting it to shut down the school on Friday, Oct. 23 to allow for contact tracing and for crews to sanitize the building. Students and staff in kindergarten through third grade will be on full remote learning on Friday. Students and staff in fourth and fifth grades will report to the Jefferson campus. School officials said that the distri…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Positive Case, Exposure Lead To Quarantines At School In Fairfield County COVID-19: Positive Case, Exposure Lead To Quarantines At School In Fairfield County
Covid-19: Positive Case, Exposure Lead To Quarantines At School In Fairfield County A positive case of COVID-19, as well as additional exposure, have led to quarantines at a high school in Fairfield County. Ridgefield Public Schools Superintendent Susie Da Silva said in a message Friday night, Oct. 16 that about three dozen Ridgefield High School staff members and students have been asked to quarantine after being exposed to multiple sources of COVID. That came after Da Silva reported earlier in the day that a member of the high school community had tested positive, leading to a 9:30 a.m. early dismissal and the start of contact tracing. The individual is considered …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Number Of Positive Cases At High School In Fairfield County Increases To 14 COVID-19: Number Of Positive Cases At High School In Fairfield County Increases To 14
Covid-19: Number Of Positive Cases At High School In Fairfield County Increases To 14 More COVID-19 cases in Fairfield County have been linked to students attending mass gatherings in violation of the state’s COVID-19 mandates. At least 14 positive COVID-19 cases have been linked to Fairfield Ludlowe High School students who attended gatherings, the district announced this week. The number had been at 11 through the weekend, but Schools Superintendent Mike Cummings said that there were three new cases that were identified among students already in quarantine. The announcement comes on the heels of the district being forced to close the building for two days last week to sa…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: High School In Fairfield County Will Be Closed After Positive Cases COVID-19: High School In Fairfield County Will Be Closed After Positive Cases
Covid-19: High School In Fairfield County Will Be Closed After Positive Cases A high school in Fairfield County will be closed through the end of the week after several individuals tested positive for COVID-19. Those individuals at Fairfield Ludlowe High School have been in close contact with one or more individuals in the school community and beyond, Fairfield Public Schools Superintendent Mike Cummings and COVID-19 Health And Safety Compliance Liaison Angelus Papageorge said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 23. As a result, Fairfield Ludlowe will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 24 and Friday, Sept. 25 to allow for c…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: 53 Students Quarantined At High School In Fairfield County COVID-19: 53 Students Quarantined At High School In Fairfield County
Covid-19: 53 Students Quarantined At High School In Fairfield County Multiple students at a Fairfield County high school have tested positive for COVID-19 and dozens of classmates have been forced to quarantine as a precaution. Four New Canaan High School students tested positive for the virus, and the subsequent contact tracing led to 53 of their classmates to be placed into quarantine as of Tuesday, Sept. 22. New Canaan Schools Superintendent Bryan Luizzi is encouraging other students who may have tested positive for COVID-19 or come into contact with an infected student to come forward to prevent any additional spread of the virus. In addition to the f…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Classes Canceled At School In Fairfield County After Positive Case COVID-19: Classes Canceled At School In Fairfield County After Positive Case
Covid-19: Classes Canceled At School In Fairfield County After Positive Case A Fairfield County school was forced to cancel classes due to a staffing shortage brought on by a COVID-19 case. The Luis Munoz Marin School in Bridgeport canceled classes on Monday, Sept. 21 after a positive COVID-19 case was identified over the weekend the district announced as it began the process of contact tracing anyone who came into contact with the infected individual. Following the positive case, the district said too many teachers called in sick to hold classes on Monday, and there has been a dearth of substitute teachers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Students returned to class o…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Sacred Heart University Quarantines Entire Dorm; Quinnipiac Reports First Case COVID-19: Sacred Heart University Quarantines Entire Dorm; Quinnipiac Reports First Case
Covid-19: Sacred Heart University Quarantines Entire Dorm; Quinnipiac Reports First Case The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to spread around college campuses in Connecticut. Sacred Heart University in the Town of Fairfield announced it would be expanding a previous quarantine order to an entire residence hall due to a mislabeled COVID test that prevented the school from identifying which student tested positive. There have been at least five confirmed COVID cases - including two new ones - in Merton Hall, prompting the decision to have the students temporarily quarantine and transition to remote learning. According to the school, the students will remain in their rooms except…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New Positive Case Confirmed At School District In Fairfield County COVID-19: New Positive Case Confirmed At School District In Fairfield County
Covid-19: New Positive Case Confirmed At School District In Fairfield County There has been another newly confirmed COVID-19 case in a Fairfield County school district. Hillcrest Middle School Principal Bryan Rickert confirmed that there was a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis in Trumbull, though he did not disclose whether it was a student or staff member, citing privacy laws. The person with COVID-19 was last in the school building on Tuesday, Sept. 15. Rickert said that contact tracing began immediately, and any student who came into close contact with the person will be alerted on Wednesday, Sept. 16, while the building has been sanitized by the school’s custodians.…

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by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Callers Posing As Contact Tracers To Get Credit, Bank Account Info COVID-19: Alert Issued For Callers Posing As Contact Tracers To Get Credit, Bank Account Info
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Callers Posing As Contact Tracers To Get Credit, Bank Account Info Don’t fall for it. Fraudsters have been making the rounds, looking to take advantage of the COVID-19 crisis, posing as contact tracers seeking personal information from suspect victims amid the pandemic. Since the outbreak began six months ago, contact tracing has become a vital tool as health officials seek to identify positive COVID-19 cases, tracing back to the people they’ve been in contact with and isolating them to help curtail the spread of the virus. Recently, some state and federal officials issued a warning that some scammers have been posing as contact tracers, using that faux i…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: School In Westport Closed After Staffer Tests Positive COVID-19: School In Westport Closed After Staffer Tests Positive
Covid-19: School In Westport Closed After Staffer Tests Positive Click here for an updated story - COVID-19: Second Staffer At School In Fairfield County Tests Positive A school in Fairfield County is closed on Friday, Sept. 11 after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Thomas Scarice, Westport's Superintendent of Schools, said the administration learned of the positive case early Friday morning. "Given the timing of the notice and our need to follow district protocols with contact tracing, as a precautionary measure, Coleytown Elementary School will be closed today, Friday, September 11, 2020, to students and staff," Scarice…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
COVID-19: CT School Closes After Employee Tests Positive COVID-19: CT School Closes After Employee Tests Positive
Covid-19: CT School Closes After Employee Tests Positive An elementary school in Connecticut will be closed for several days after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Somers Schools Superintendent Brian Czapla announced this week that the elementary school will be closed on Wednesday, Sept. 9, and Thursday, Sept. 10 after a staff member that works with pre-K students tested positive for the virus. Somers is located in northernmost Connecticut and borders Massachusetts. While the building is closed, officials said that the building will be sanitized and contact tracing has already begun. “I apologize for the late notice and the impact o…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: More Students Placed In Isolation After Testing Positive At UConn COVID-19: More Students Placed In Isolation After Testing Positive At UConn
Covid-19: More Students Placed In Isolation After Testing Positive At UConn More students at the University of Connecticut have tested positive for COVID-19 and have joined others in mandated isolation. Five more students on campus at UConn has tested positive for the virus, bringing the total to 81 confirmed COVID-19 cases since students returned to campus. Earlier story - COVID-19: Nearly 300 UConn Students Quarantined As Virus Spreads According to reports, two of the new positive cases showed symptoms and were already in a medical quarantine, the other three were identified through contact tracing and are being isolated as a precaution. Officials are still att…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: UConn Sees New Increase In Cases COVID-19: UConn Sees New Increase In Cases
Covid-19: UConn Sees New Increase In Cases The University of Connecticut is reporting a new rise in novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases as students prepare to return to campus for the fall semester. In its latest update, UConn announced that there have now been a total of 27 positive on-campus COVID-19 cases as the school continues its testing in advance of the academic year. Original story - COVID-19: Number Of UConn Students Testing Positive Increases According to the university, of the 27 cases, all but one fall into one of three categories: those identified in the initial round of testing done during move-in, those connected to …

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by Zak Failla