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New COVID-19 Cases Hit Region 4 School Communities

As students in the Regional 4 School District returned after winter break for in-person classes on Jan. 4, several positive cases of COVID-19 during the week affected school communities with numerous quarantines of staff and students.

On Jan. 8, the district informed school communities by email of a positive COVID-19 case at Valley Regional High School (VRHS) that required the quarantine of 38 students and 4 staff members.

In-person instruction at the district’s Collaborative Preschool located at Essex Elementary School (EES) was suspended on Jan. 8 for contract tracing after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. This case led to the quarantine of 10 students and 8 staff members of the pre-school program, according to the Regional 4 School District in an email.

Based on the quarantine of these staff members, on-site learning for students of the pre-school program was suspended for the week of Jan. 11 to 15. A return for in-person instruction is expected on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

On Jan. 7, EES was notified of a positive COVID-19 test result for a student, who had last attended in-person classes on Jan. 4. As a result of this case, nine students and five staff members who had close contact with the student were asked to quarantine. The school remained open for in-person classes.

The district recently modified its quarantine protocol, after consultation with the Essex Health Department and Connecticut River Area Health District, to be in line with new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The new protocol, which took effect Jan. 7, allows individuals to return to school after 10 days of quarantining at home, instead of the previously required 14 days, if they do not show symptoms of the virus. Self-monitoring and reporting of any symptoms is required for days 11 to 14, however.

Prior to winter break, a student at Valley Regional High School (VRHS) contracted COVID-19, with 22 students and 5 staff members being asked to quarantine as a result.

The VRHS student last attended in-person classes at the school on Dec. 16. The school communities were notified of the case by the district shortly after being dismissed for winter break, on Dec. 23.