Scarice: After Vacation, Quarantine Or Test!

All week long, Westport schools have been on winter break. 

As in years past, families headed on vacation. They skied in Vermont and Colorado. They swam in Florida, and snorkeled off St. Martin.

But this year is not like all those others. We are still in a pandemic. Governor Lamont has issued travel mandates. Connecticut residents must take precautions — testing and quarantining — when returning from out of state.

Today, Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice said:

Dear Westport Families and Staff,

As we head into the final weekend of the winter break I want to remind everyone of Governor Lamont’s Executive order 9S, regarding travel.

Students and staff returning from travel to anywhere other than New Jersey, New York or Rhode Island, where they have stayed longer than 24 hours, are required by law to follow this executive order.

Governor Ned Lamont’s order on out-of-state travel includes $500 fines.

We want to remind families to continue reporting positive COVID-19 cases of students using our reporting voicemail or email regardless of whether the students are in remote or hybrid models of instruction. Please follow this link for more information on reporting.

As noted last week, the travel guidance linked and outlined below is important information as the winter break draws to a close, but it remains critical for families and staff to remember that smaller social gatherings with family and friends have an equal, if not greater potential, for transmission of COVID-19 if mask wearing and other critical mitigation measures aren’t followed.

Thank you again for your help in following this guidance. Enjoy the weekend, and we look forward to seeing everyone next week!

As noted on Westport Local Press:

New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island are exempt from this advisory, and do not require quarantine or COVID-19 testing.

Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and all other states or countries are not exempt. If you visited any non-exempt state for more than 24 hours within the past 10 days:

• • All students and families must fill out the State Travel Health Form regardless of COVID-19 testing.

  • All students and families must quarantine when they return home to Connecticut, and must remain in quarantine for 10 days since last contact with the affected state.

  • Quarantine may be left if a rapid or PCR COVID-19 test was administered, and returned negative. The test can be administered up to 72 hours before returning to the Connecticut, or anytime thereafter. Results must be submitted to the Commissioner of Public Health .

Failure to quarantine, receive COVID-19 testing, and/or submit accurate State Travel Forms will result in a $500 civil penalty per violation (per family member, and/or per time leaving quarantine)

All positive COVID-19 cases for Westport Public Schools students or staff (virtual or in-person learnings) must be reported to the District by email or phone.

Anonymous reporting of people not adhering to the Connecticut Travel Advisory can be submitted online here.

Connecticut has strict rules for travelers returning from destinations like Cancun. Other states — for example, Texas — are less stringent.