Greenwich Schools emailed GHS families twice on Thursday with summaries of students and staff who had tested positive for Covid-19 and the number of people quarantining as a result.
The first was a list of 11 students and staff.
The alert also said three classes from the Wellness Center in the Greenwich Cohort attended school remotely on Thursday to give the district time for further contact tracing.
The summary was as follows:
- 9th-grade student in the Cardinals Cohort from an undetermined exposure, last day in school on April 5th (eight additional students quarantined)
- 9th-grade student on the Cardinals Cohort from a family members exposure, last day in school on April 1st (eight additional students quarantined)
- 10th-grade student in the Greenwich Cohort last day in school on March 29th (no additional quarantines)
- 11th-grade student in the Cardinals Cohort from a family exposure, last day in school on March 19th (no additional quarantines)
- 11th-grade student in the Cardinals Cohort from a family members, last day in school on April 1st (three additional students and one staff quarantined)
- 11th-grade student in the Greenwich Cohort from a family exposure, last day in school on March 23rd (no additional quarantines)
- Three 12th-grade student athletes in the Cardinal Cohort from an undetermined exposure, last day in school on April 1st (28 additional student athletes quarantined)
- Two non-teaching staff members, one from a family exposure and one from an in-school exposure (three additional non-teaching staff members quarantines)
In a separate email, the district shared another summery after they said they were notified that 5 GHS students tested positive, due to multiple exposures, and will quarantine.
The second summary was as follows:
- 10th-grade student in the Cardinals Cohort from an undetermined exposure, last day in school on April 1st (four additional students quarantined)
- 11th-grade student in the Cardinals Cohort from a family member exposure, last day in school on April 5th (three additional students quarantined)
- 12th-grade student in the Cardinals Cohort from an undetermined exposure, last day in school on April 1st (seven additional student-athletes quarantined)
- 12th-grade student in the Greenwich Cohort from an undetermined exposure, last day in school on April 6th (eight additional students quarantined)
- 12th-grade student in the Cardinals Cohort from an undetermined exposure, last day in school on April 1st (29 additional student-athletes quarantined)
The jump in cases comes on the eve of spring break, which runs April 12-16.
The good news is that both teachers and, as of April 1, people age 16+ are eligible to be vaccinated.
According to Health Dept director Caroline Baisley, people age 16 and 17 can only receive the Pfizer vaccine, which is carried by most hospital clinics. The Moderna Vaccine accommodates people 18+.
The J&J vaccine which is also a one-shot, accommodates people 18+. However this vaccine is not plentiful in Connecticut, according to Baisley.
On WGCH this week, Greenwich Schools Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones said it would be “a family decision” whether students get vaccinated, as the vaccines are not mandated.
“That will make a big difference for the amount of quarantine for young people,” she said, adding that getting as many people vaccinated as soon as possible would help get the school day closer to normal.
“And it does make a difference for staff as well, because once they’re fully vaccinated, if they have an exposure where they were sitting next to someone who was positive, they no longer have to quarantine for those 14 days, which can be incredibly disruptive,” she explained.
She added that the district is unable to organize their own vaccination clinics for students because it is not designated an “alliance district.”
An alliance districts target more at risk demographics, and more vaccines are being sent to those communities.
However, in Greenwich, students can also go to Brunswick School, they can access the local Health Dept, and go to the VAMS system to access vaccine clinics in places like Stamford, Norwalk and Bridgeport.
Jones said she’d met with members of GHS student government last week and asked how many thought they’d get the vaccine. She said all of them indicated they planned to get the vaccine.
Further she said the student government surveyed a few hundred students, and the percentage was “very high,” with about 85-90% of students responding saying they would get the vaccine.