HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut’s largest teachers union said Thursday it plans to push for a return to remote learning after the holiday break, given the surge in COVID-19 cases, including among children, and “inadequate” supplies of at-home tests.
In an email sent to its members, the Connecticut Education Association said most of its local union presidents prefer a fully remote learning option at this time, calling the current situation “a perfect storm.”
“So far the state has been reluctant to allow remote options, but with a surge in the positivity rate, an increase in the number of children contracting the virus, inadequate supplies of N95 masks and at-home COVID tests, and the lack of consistent protocols regarding at-home testing, we will continue to stress the need for stronger actions to protect our school communities,” the letter read.
Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont announced Monday that the state planned to distribute 3 million at-home COVID test kits, with 2 million of those going to schools. However, on Wednesday, he said the state’s anticipated shipment had been delayed due to shipping and warehouse delays, prompting the postponement of many local distribution sites.
Lamont was scheduled to discuss the situation with the at-home tests Thursday afternoon.
Over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new cases has increased by 1,824.1, an increase of 68.7%.
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There were 1,412.0 new cases per 100,000 people in Connecticut over the past two weeks, which ranks ninth in the country for new cases per capita. One in every 114 people in Connecticut tested positive in the past week, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins. New state data released Thursday show there were more than 7,700 positive cases reported to the state since Wednesday, while the number of COVID hospitalizations grew by 38 since Wednesday, for a total of 1,151.
Meanwhile, the number COVID-associated deaths has grown by 83 since last Thursday, for a total of 9,160.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said his city still plans to resume in-person schooling Monday following the holiday break, noting the city has secured enough testing kits to make sure it can test essential employees, including teachers.
Iline Tracey, the city’s superintendent of schools, said switching to entirely remote learning is a decision that can only be made by the governor or the General Assembly. She noted that the schools have an adequate supply of personal protective equipment.
In the meantime, Elicker said local officials will continue to monitor the data and will make classes remote on a case-by-case basis as they receive information about infections.
“Families should be prepared for the possibility that their class may go remote or even multiple classes or even potentially a school may go remote if there are so many cases or if there is a lot of staffing shortages that they need to do that,” he said.
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