HARTFORD, Conn. (WCBS 880) — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced a new “Screen and Stay” initiative Thursday for willing schools allowing students and staff not fully vaccinated to stay in school even after close contact with a positive COVID-19 case.
Connecticut officials said the move will ensure "immediate relief to the frequent and repeated quarantines that continue to impact student learning and place a burden on working families."
Those will be able to stay in school if the interaction happens during the school day, they are wearing masks and are asymptomatic after contact.
Those eligible to remain in school if the close contact interaction with a COVID-19 positive individual falls within these circumstances:
• Exclusively during the school day (no extracurricular or social contact).
• If indoors or on a school bus or other school transportation, and both the contact and the COVID-19 case were consistently masked during the exposure even if brief unmasked periods (e.g., snack time, cafeteria) occurred, as long as six feet or more of space was consistently maintained.
• If outdoors, the individuals were masked or unmasked but were supervised by staff (e.g., mask breaks, physical education, recess).
• The close contact remains asymptomatic (any symptoms revert to regular isolation/quarantine).
Examples of scenarios that do not support the initiative would be:
• Contact with a case during interscholastic or other athletic activities (other than during supervised outdoor physical education and recess).
• Contact occurring during social interactions or similar activities outside of school (e.g., birthday parties, dining out, sleepovers).
• Contact where the individuals were not consistently and correctly wearing masks indoors and a six-foot distance was not maintained.
• The contact occurred between members of the same household (i.e., the contact lives with the case).
• If, upon return to school, the contact cannot consistently and correctly wear a mask.
Lamont said the approach will benefit students, giving them more opportunities to remain in person to learn.
"Throughout this pandemic, we’ve consistently done our best to maintain a safe learning environment for all students and staff, while also understanding that students achieve the greatest outcomes when they have access to in-person learning," he said.
The "Screen and Stay" initiative begins as the state rolls out COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 — days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave final clearance.
As of that approval, Connecticut children ages 5 to 11 are able to get vaccinated across the state.
"While that rollout occurs, the Screen and Stay initiative will help ensure that more students can remain in school and we can provide a safe, in-person learning environment," Lamont added.
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