September 9, 2021
Dear Parents and Staff:
The Clinton Public Schools received notification this morning of a positive
COVID-19 test result for a member of the Eliot School community. The
individual who tested positive was last in the school building on Wednesday,
September 8, 2021.
Following the guidance of CT River Area Health District (CRAHD), our local
health district, and the CT State Department of Public Health, contact tracing
was conducted today. All individuals who were determined to be in close contact
with the positive case have received a phone call and have been informed about
required actions.
The new guidance includes a CDC-designated exception for the definition of
close contact for students in a classroom setting. This states that if a
student in this setting is masked and spaced at least three feet away from a positive
case, they would not need to quarantine. In all non-classroom settings, the
standard for identification as a close contact is being within 6 feet for
greater than 15 minutes. Additional contact tracing guidelines state that
individuals who are fully vaccinated are not required to
quarantine.
It is imperative that all students, staff, and parents work together both
in-school and out-of-school to control the spread of COVID-19. The proven
mitigation strategies, including vaccination, mask-wearing indoors, social
distancing, and hand hygiene are necessary to reduce and control the spread of
COVID-19. If any staff or students exhibit any of the symptoms related to
COVID-19 they should stay home, call their medical provider to report their symptoms,
and notify School Nurse Supervisor Donna Frechette at [email protected] or
860-664-6572.
The District will continue to immediately respond to notifications of
positive COVID-19 cases of students or staff in the district, to work closely
with the CT River Area Health District, and to communicate with our families
and staff all required information and notifications. Summary data of
positive cases and public health metrics are updated weekly and can be found on
the COVID-19
dashboard on the district website.
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or our School
Nurse Supervisor Donna Frechette at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Maryann R. O’Donnell