COVID absences fall in Fairfield schools

FAIRFIELD - Absences due to COVID-19 have plummeted in the Fairfield Community School District, but they're still above the numbers from most of October.

The number of students and staff who either tested positive for COVID or had to isolate or be in quarantine due to COVID exposure dropped below 60 Nov. 30 and stayed there the rest of the week.

That's down from a high of 135 on Nov. 15. The number of staff out with COVID exposure was eight on Dec. 4.

The student absences due to illness appear to be concentrated at Washington Elementary School. Fourteen percent of students at Washington were out on Dec. 1. The district average was 5 percent that day. Since then, the percent of students out fell to 2.4 percent in the district on Dec. 4, and 7.6 percent at Washington.

The number of positive cases in the district was above five from Nov. 16 through Dec. 1 but has dropped to five or below ever since.