NORWALK, Conn. — School bus meal delivery to bus stops, as well as door-to-door meal deliveries for Special Education students, has abruptly been suspended.
“As Norwalk enters what we believe could be the peak phase of the COVID-19 coronavirus spread, Norwalk Public Schools will need to take the difficult step of modifying our food distribution model,” NPS said in a Sunday announcement. Families will instead have to pick up meals at one of 10 food centers, from noon to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The number of positive COVID-19 tests in Norwalk has spiked, a 60 percent increase from Saturday to Sunday. Norwalk leads Connecticut for positive tests. It attained that status Friday.
The NPS announcement was greeted with a rumor that the change was due to a food worker contracting COVID-19. NPS denied that.
“{P}eople with coronavirus or anyone with possible symptoms will NOT be distributing food. The health of both our staff and our families has been the top priority in every decision over the past few weeks as the situation in Norwalk and Fairfield County has developed,” NPS said in a Facebook post.
NPS continued, “We have been in daily touch with the Norwalk Health Department since the public health crisis began and follow all their advice to the letter. The new distribution method for tomorrow is meant to meet the need for meals at this difficult time, in a responsible way for everyone involved.”
Replies highlighted issues separate from fears of the contagious disease spreading.
“There is no way for some folks to get to the distribution sites, I have seen people flat out lie to get meals and that ruined this as well. So the ones who have no vehicles and no means outside of risking taking a bus to a distribution site can be exposed. This is not NPS or the buses fault, I blame those who went claiming meals despite not even having kids or their kids go to a different school and they collected off other stops instead,” one person wrote. “I know who takes my kids bus and I also know and have witnessed folks collecting from other stops, so from a parent on disability who has no car , I hope they feel proud of themselves.”
“People were not keeping their distance unfortunately at the bus stops,” another person said.
“Now people have to congregate, sort of defeats the purpose, some folks followed the rules and now can get nothing because of other folks not following the rules,” the first person replied.
“The sad part of this, is {that} a lot of the ones that really need the lunches will not be able to get to the locations,” another person wrote.
“This actually makes very little sense in terms of controlling exposure to the coronavirus,” came a reply on the NPS announcement of the switch.
The meals will be available at:
- Brien McMahon High School
- Jefferson Elementary School
- Kendall Elementary School
- Marvin Elementary School
- Ponus Ridge Middle School
- Nathan Hale Middle School
- Tracey Magnet School
- Ben Franklin Community Center
- Carver Community Center
- Nathaniel Ely Center (Maritime Odyssey Preschool)
“This truly hurts South Norwalk because Columbus is more central than Ben Franklin and the Maritime Odyssey,” one person wrote.
“You are providing an incredible service and you seemed to be doing it in a really efficient and family-friendly way, it seems like this way is not entirely thought out,” another said.
NPS states that families will have the option to “drive through” or walk up to get their meals at one of the locations. “For the health and safety of both families and staff, we will require that everyone maintain ‘social distancing,’ meaning 6 feet of physical space between you and a non-family member. Crossing guards and security guards will be available to assist.”
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