Dear Smithfield Staff and Families,
This 30th edition of the weekly Return to School report includes our weekly report on COVID cases, town testing clinic, spectator policy for sports, and town data. Additional information about Smithfield Public Schools can be found in the February newsletter (see http://bit.ly/2MuDBN5).
A Weekly Report on COVID Cases
This past week, 19 new COVID cases were reported in our school community, down from 22 the week prior and 28 2 weeks ago. Three cases were from SHS, five were from GMS, four were from OCRS, four were from Winsor, two were from McCabe, and no cases were reported for LaPerche. This brings our total number of cases to 264 since the start of the school year.
Town Testing Clinic
The Town of Smithfield is hosting a COVID testing event on February 14th at Smithfield High School. This event is free and is for anyone in our community who would like to be tested. Early detection and isolation are important for keeping our community healthy. Look for additional details about the event in the upcoming week.
Spectator Policy for Sports
The Principals Committee on Athletics voted unanimously on the following spectator policy for winter sports competitions: Spectators will not be allowed at athletic events held at on-campus gymnasiums with the exception of a one-time senior day event for home team parents only. Spectator policies for athletic events not held at on-campus gymnasiums (ice rinks, gymnastics facilities, pools, etc.) are at the discretion of the schools and facilities.
The Smithfield Ice Rink considered its size in developing a maximum capacity to ensure social distancing. In consideration of this, it is the policy of Smithfield High School to allow 2 spectators per player (home and visitor) at hockey games at our home rink. Due to the size of the spectator area at the YMCA pool, no spectators will be allowed at swimming meets. The policies for other locations are at the discretion of those facilities.
Town Data
The month of January started out at a high of 144 new cases per week then decreased to 132 then 113 then up to 122 this past week. This latest figure corresponds to a daily rate of 17.4 new cases per 21,650 residents or 80.5 per 100,000. This data is available at https://bit.ly/2PxCgDM.
Sincerely,
Judy Paolucci, Superintendent