Tag:

Contact Tracing

Edison, NJ
News
Measles Exposure Possible At This New Jersey Hospital, Health Department Warns Measles Exposure Possible At This New Jersey Hospital, Health Department Warns
Measles Exposure Possible At This New Jersey Hospital, Health Department Warns The New Jersey Health Department is warning residents of a potential measles exposure at a Central Jersey hospital. The department said anyone who visited the emergency room at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center in Plainsboro between noon and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 1 may have been exposed to the virus. The confirmed case was Somerset County resident who developed measles following travel from a country that is currently experiencing an ongoing outbreak of measles. Measles symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a rash that usually appears between thr…

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by Cecilia Levine
Mechanicsville, MD
News
First Human Monkeypox Case Reported In St. Mary’s County First Human Monkeypox Case Reported In St. Mary’s County
First Human Monkeypox Case Reported In St. Mary’s County The first human monkeypox case has been confirmed in St. Mary's County. The St. Mary’s County Health Department has been notified of a human monkeypox virus infection in a local resident, officials announced on Monday, July 18. The person is isolating from others and is recovering, according to health officials. The Health Department has also begun the process of contact tracing and notifying anyone who may have been exposed to the virus. “The risk of transmission to the general community at this time is believed to be low,” officials said. "(The St. Mary's County Health Department) enco…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfield, CT
News
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
Massapequa, NY
News
COVID-19: NY Rolls Back Contact Tracing Requirements For Local Health Departments COVID-19: NY Rolls Back Contact Tracing Requirements For Local Health Departments
Covid-19: NY Rolls Back Contact Tracing Requirements For Local Health Departments New York State will no longer require local health departments to perform contact tracing of positive COVID-19 cases amid the rise of the Omicron variant that has been rapidly spreading in record numbers. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and acting Department of Health Commissioner Mary Bassett announced on Tuesday, Jan. 11 that with the recent unprecedented rise of new infections, it has become impractical for officials to allocate resources toward contact tracing. Previously, New Yorkers who tested positive for COVID-19 were contacted by state or local health officials who questioned them about…

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by Zak Failla
Kingston, NY
Schools
COVID-19: 11 New Cases Reported At School District In Area COVID-19: 11 New Cases Reported At School District In Area
Covid-19: 11 New Cases Reported At School District In Area With the holiday break fast approaching, an area school district is dealing with a new outbreak of COVID-19 cases among students and staff as New York contends with the winter surge of infections. In Rockland County, the South Orangetown Central School District issued an alert to the community advising that there were 11 newly confirmed COVID-19 infections reported within the district. The 11 cases were reported in these schools: South Orangetown Middle School: Four, which were reported between Tuesday, Dec. 14 and Friday, Dec. 17; William O. Schaefer Elementary School: Three, which were …

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by Zak Failla
Brentwood, NY
Schools
COVID-19: Long Island School Goes Remote Due To High Number Of Cases COVID-19: Long Island School Goes Remote Due To High Number Of Cases
Covid-19: Long Island School Goes Remote Due To High Number Of Cases With the number of COVID-19 cases mounting among students and staff, a Long Island high school is going remote for the rest of the year to help curtail the spread of the virus. The East Rockaway Junior-Senior High School transitioned to its distance learning model as of Wednesday, Dec. 15 after confirming 20 more cases in students and three in staff members. With the newly confirmed cases, there are now approximately 100 students in quarantine, representing nearly 25 percent of the entire school population. According to district officials, through contact tracing, it was determined that mo…

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by Zak Failla
Brookfield, CT
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
Lower Paxton, PA
News
Pennsylvania Department of Health Facing Class Action Lawsuit For Contract Tracing Data Breach Pennsylvania Department of Health Facing Class Action Lawsuit For Contract Tracing Data Breach
Pennsylvania Department of Health Facing Class Action Lawsuit For Contract Tracing Data Breach The Pennsylvania Department of Health is now the target of a class action lawsuit, along with Insight Global, following a data breach of contact tracing files, according to court documents. Over 72,000 Pennsylvanians had their data leaked, according to a statement by Insight Global on April 29. The lawsuit claims the Department of Health and Insight Global knew about the breach at the end of February but didn’t take action until the end of April. Both organizations are accused of negligence, according to the lawsuit filed Thursday. The leak included names, phone numbers, address, COVID-1…

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by Jillian Pikora
Brookfield, CT
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
Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ
News
COVID-19: Nearly A Dozen Cases Reported After Non-Sanctioned Events At Morris County HS COVID-19: Nearly A Dozen Cases Reported After Non-Sanctioned Events At Morris County HS
Covid-19: Nearly A Dozen Cases Reported After Non-Sanctioned Events At Morris County HS Madison High School officials are urging caution and continued compliance with COVID-19 restrictions after 11 positive cases were confirmed this week. The cases are tied to several social gatherings that were not school sanctioned last Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Madison High School Principal Davis Drechsel said in a posted Thursday to the district’s website. Contact tracing has been completed, and close contacts have been identified and placed under proper quarantine guidelines, Drechsel said. “Moving forward, I urge everyone to recommit themselves to the behavior that is required to k…

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by Valerie Musson
Marlton-Evesham, NJ
News
Prosecutor: South Jersey Woman Impersonated Contact Tracer, Tried Shutting Down Business Prosecutor: South Jersey Woman Impersonated Contact Tracer, Tried Shutting Down Business
Prosecutor: South Jersey Woman Impersonated Contact Tracer, Tried Shutting Down Business A 32-year-old woman from Burlington County has been arrested for impersonating a public health department official and threatening to close a plumbing business over COVID-19 rules, authorities said. Jennifer Strumph of South Elmwood Road in Evesham falsely claimed that the business had failed to adhere to coronavirus isolation and cleaning protocols, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Evesham Township Police Chief Christopher Chew. Strumph was charged with computer crime, criminal coercion with intent to harm reputation and assuming a false identity, Coffi…

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by Jon Craig
Massapequa, NY
News
COVID-19: Outbreak Linked To Off-Campus Events Causes Closure Of Long Island High School COVID-19: Outbreak Linked To Off-Campus Events Causes Closure Of Long Island High School
Covid-19: Outbreak Linked To Off-Campus Events Causes Closure Of Long Island High School An outbreak of COVID-19 cases linked to off-campus events has caused the closure of a high school on Long Island. In a letter to the school community, Miller Place Union Free School District Superintendent Dr. Marianne F. Cartisano said three positive COVID cases were contact traced on Monday, March 8, resulting in 18 additional students being quarantined as close contacts. On Tuesday, March 9, another four students tested positive, with at least another three symptomatic students who are pending test results.  "We expect these new seven cases will identify ap…

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by Joe Lombardi
Massapequa, NY
News
COVID-19: Long Island Building Inspector Who Visited Homes Tests Positive COVID-19: Long Island Building Inspector Who Visited Homes Tests Positive
Covid-19: Long Island Building Inspector Who Visited Homes Tests Positive A building inspector working for a Long Island town who visited various residential projects has contracted COVID-19, officials announced. The Town of Huntington’s Department of Building and Engineering was closed on Wednesday, March 3 for a thorough cleaning and disinfecting following the confirmation that a building inspector tested positive for the virus. Officials said that the employee was tested on Tuesday, March 2, with the results coming back on Wednesday morning. The employee had no interaction with other town staff members, but officials cautioned that he had been in the field in…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfield, CT
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
Newtown, CT
Schools
COVID-19: Six New Cases Reported At School District In Fairfield County COVID-19: Six New Cases Reported At School District In Fairfield County
Covid-19: Six New Cases Reported At School District In Fairfield County 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
Brookfield, CT
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
Mount Pleasant, NY
Schools
COVID-19: New Positive Case Reported At High School In Westchester COVID-19: New Positive Case Reported At High School In Westchester
Covid-19: New Positive Case Reported At High School In Westchester A Westchester high school is set to reopen for in-person learning this week despite a newly confirmed positive COVID-19 case in a student or staffer. Irvington Schools Superintendent Kristopher Harrison issued an alert on Thursday, Jan. 14 advising that a member of the Irvington High School community has tested positive for the virus. Despite the new case, Harrison announced that Irvington High School will be reopening for in-person learning, as scheduled, on Friday, Jan. 15. Harrison said that anyone who may have been exposed has been notified by a school staff member during contact traci…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfield, CT
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
Bristol, PA
News
First Case Of More Contagious Coronavirus Variant Detected In Pennsylvania First Case Of More Contagious Coronavirus Variant Detected In Pennsylvania
First Case Of More Contagious Coronavirus Variant Detected In Pennsylvania The first case of a more contagious strain of COVID-19 has been detected in Pennsylvania, officials said Thursday morning. The case is reported to have come from an individual from Dauphin County, who was exposed through international contact, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. The individual had mild symptoms, which have since been resolved while they completed their isolation at home, officials say. "Pennsylvania has been preparing for this variant by working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and has been sending 10-35 random sam…

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by Nicole Acosta
Worcester, MA
News
COVID-19: More Than 380,000 MA Residents Have Isolated/Quarantined Since May COVID-19: More Than 380,000 MA Residents Have Isolated/Quarantined Since May
Covid-19: More Than 380,000 MA Residents Have Isolated/Quarantined Since May More than 380,000 people in Massachusetts have gone into - or are still in - quarantine or isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s more than 5 percent of all Massachusetts residents. Since May, concern about spreading COVID-19 has caused 387,769 individual quarantines or isolations among Massachusetts residents, according to the state’s Dec. 9 COVID-19 daily dashboard, the most recent information available. Quarantine is for people who may have been exposed to COVID-19. Isolation is for individuals who are sure they have COVID-19. Either way, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control u…

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by Kristin Palpini
Massapequa, NY
News
COVID-19: Long Island Sees 1,900-Plus New Cases; Latest County Totals COVID-19: Long Island Sees 1,900-Plus New Cases; Latest County Totals
Covid-19: Long Island Sees 1,900-Plus New Cases; Latest County Totals Long Island saw more than 1,900 new cases of COVID-19 and an increase in the positive-test rate, according to new data released by the New York State Department of Health on Sunday, Dec. 13. There were 1,086 new cases confirmed in Suffolk County on Friday with another 839 in Nassau County. Here are positive testing rates for the last four days on Long Island: Wednesday, Dec. 9: 5.71 percent Thursday, Dec. 10: 5.65 percent Friday, Dec. 11: 5.58 percent Saturday, Dec. 12: 5.62 percent There were 106 deaths due to COVID-19 in New York State on Saturday, with eight on Long Island (five …

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by Joe Lombardi
North Hunterdon, NJ
News
COVID-19: Warren County School District Goes Fully Remote After 6 Cases In 24 Hours COVID-19: Warren County School District Goes Fully Remote After 6 Cases In 24 Hours
Covid-19: Warren County School District Goes Fully Remote After 6 Cases In 24 Hours One Warren County school district has shifted to fully remote learning after identifying six positive cases of COVID-19 within 24 hours, officials said. Students and staff at the Warren Hills Regional School District in Washington will participate in fully remote learning as of Friday, Dec. 11, Superintendent Earl C. Clymer, III said in an announcement. “Over the past 24 hours, we have been notified of 6 confirmed positive cases and following a comprehensive and thorough review of the criteria above, contact tracing and due to circumstances beyond our control, we will no longer be able to m…

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by Valerie Musson
Massapequa, NY
Schools
COVID-19: New Cases Confirmed In These Long Island School Districts COVID-19: New Cases Confirmed In These Long Island School Districts
Covid-19: New Cases Confirmed In These Long Island School Districts Students and staffers within a pair of Long Island school districts have tested positive for COVID-19, forcing officials to make some adjustments on the fly. School officials said that two students and several staff members at Berner Middle School in Massapequa have tested positive, with at least another additional confirmed case at the Birch Lane Elementary School. The district said the closures were "out of an abundance of caution" and Iconis said that in the case of Berner, district officials are attempting to determine "if other students and or staff members are involved." In Suffolk C…

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by Zak Failla
Lower Merion-Narberth, PA
Schools
NEW RULES: Pennsylvania Schools Must Close Once Certain Number Of COVID-19 Cases Are Reported NEW RULES: Pennsylvania Schools Must Close Once Certain Number Of COVID-19 Cases Are Reported
NEW Rules: Pennsylvania Schools Must Close Once Certain Number Of Covid-19 Cases Are Reported Pennsylvania's Department of Education last month released a new set of cleaning and closing procedures in the event of new COVID-19 cases and outbreaks in the state's public Kindergarten through 12th grade schools. The Nov. 23 guidelines say schools with a certain number of cases must go all-remote for a certain period of time, once a specific number of cases are reported. And it could happen on very short notice. The guidelines provide advice on contact tracing, cleaning, closures and quarantining. The level of community transmission is considered (low, moderate and substantial) as is th…

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by Cecilia Levine
Brookfield, CT
Schools
COVID-19: School Districts In Fairfield County Report 13 New Cases COVID-19: School Districts In Fairfield County Report 13 New Cases
Covid-19: School Districts In Fairfield County Report 13 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
Stony Point, NY
News
COVID-19: New Alert Issued For Exposure At Restaurant In Area COVID-19: New Alert Issued For Exposure At Restaurant In Area
Covid-19: New Alert Issued For Exposure At Restaurant In Area Health authorities have issued a new alert for COVID-19 exposure at a restaurant in the area. Sullivan County Public Health Services has confirmed that an employee who works at Cellaio, a restaurant in the Town of Thompson, tested positive for COVID-19.  There is currently no indication that the employee contracted the virus at the restaurant or impacted anyone else, the department said. Public Health Services has determined that this individual was working at Cellaio, located at 888 Resorts World Drive in Monticello, during the following dates and times: • Thursday, Nov. 26 between…

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by Joe Lombardi
White Plains, NY
Schools
COVID-19: Westchester School District To Remain Remote Longer, After Staffer Tests Positive COVID-19: Westchester School District To Remain Remote Longer, After Staffer Tests Positive
Covid-19: Westchester School District To Remain Remote Longer, After Staffer Tests Positive A Westchester school district will continue learning remotely at least a little longer to allow proper time to test students and staff for COVID-19 after being designated as one of the state's "yellow zone" micro-clusters."  Related story - COVID-19: Maps Released For Newly Added Cluster Zones In Area New Rochelle Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero announced that the district would remain on all-virtual learning through Wednesday, Dec. 9, at which point elementary and middle school students will return to a hybrid model in two phases. The news comes a day after the district repo…

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by Zak Failla
Stony Point, NY
News
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Diner COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Diner
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Diner Customers and employees at a popular Hudson Valley diner may have been exposed to COVID-19 after a fellow patron tested positive for the virus. The Sullivan County Department of Health Services issued an alert advising that a patron at the Liberty Diner on Sullivan Avenue in Liberty could have potentially exposed over a stretch of five days last month. According to the Department of Health Services, anyone who was at the diner between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. between Saturday, Nov. 21 and Wednesday, Nov. 25 could have been exposed, despite the restauranteurs taking COVID-19 precautions. “The rest…

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by Zak Failla
Monroe, NY
Business
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Store COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Store
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Area Store A pair of employees at a Sullivan County dollar store have tested positive for COVID-19 and could have exposed other employees or customers. Sullivan County Public Health Services Director Nancy McGraw announced that two employees at the Dollar General on Glen Wild Road in Rock Hill have tested positive, prompting officials to begin contact tracing to determine who may have been exposed. Anyone who was at Dollar General between Sunday, Nov. 15 and Wednesday, Nov. 18 could potentially be infected. “Both employees and customers may have been exposed to COVID-19,” McGraw said. “If someone thi…

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by Zak Failla
Monroe, NY
Business
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Popular Area Restaurant COVID-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Popular Area Restaurant
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Exposure At Popular Area Restaurant Customers and employees at an area restaurant may have been exposed to COVID-19 following newly confirmed positive cases. The Sullivan County Department of Health Services issued an alert advising that at least four COVID-19 cases have been traced back to Peppino’s Restaurant on Lower Main Street in Callicoon. Anyone who was at the restaurant during business hours between Sunday, Nov. 14 and Tuesday, Nov. 17 has been instructed to self-quarantine and to get tested for COVID-19 if they develop symptoms. “Four employees have tested positive thus far, and we anticipate there will be more ca…

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by Zak Failla
Brookfield, CT
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 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