SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE
Posted: December 7, 2020
Response to Positive COVID-19 Cases
Starting on December 7th, 2020, Wayne Local Schools will implement a new process to modify student quarantine of close contacts to return to school per guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and with support from Governor Mike DeWine, the Ohio Department of Health, and the Warren County Health Department.
Note - The CDC still states that 14 days of quarantine after being a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case is the gold standard and the most protective option.
ALTERNATIVE #1 - Instead of a 14 day quarantine, an individual may quarantine for 10 days from the last close contact with a confirmed case.
1. This option does not require the individual under quarantine to receive a negative PCR test; however;
2. The individual will self-monitor for any symptoms of COVID-19 through day 14;
3. If a student returns after the mandated 10 day quarantine, the student’s family must communicate in advance with jroyalty@wayne-local.com. Upon arrival, the student shall check in with school medical personnel each morning through day 14 at Wayne Local Schools. The student is permitted to ride school transportation in their assigned seat and wear a mask at all times after a 10 day quarantine;
4. If at any time during the 14 days from the close contact the individual demonstrates symptoms, he/she is considered to be a probable case and will isolate from school;
5. At that point, the individual shall receive a confirmatory PCR diagnostic test for COVID-19 to confirm;
6. The individual will remain in quarantine until test results are confirmed; the return to school date will depend on the efficiency of the testing lab and our internal contact tracing process
7. Documentation of the test results will be provided to Jen Royalty, School Nurse, at jroyalty@wayne-local.com or questions may be directed to (513) 897-4350;
8. Individuals are not to contact the Warren County Health Department to change start or return dates.
ALTERNATIVE #2 - Instead of a 14 day quarantine an individual would need to quarantine for 7 days from the last close contact with a confirmed case AND would need to have a negative PCR COVID-19 test.
1. A test sample shall be collected within 48 hours of being released from quarantine;
2. A rapid test does not meet this testing standard. If you have questions regarding testing, email Jen Royalty, School Nurse, at jroyalty@wayne-local.com;
3. The earliest an individual would have a test sample collected would be day 5 of the quarantine;
4. If a sample has been collected and it is past the 7th day of quarantine, the individual must stay in isolation until the test results are confirmed;
5. This could mean the quarantine may go past 10 days or even the 14 day mark depending on the efficiency of the testing lab.
6. Regardless of how many days are remaining in the quarantine, an individual must remain isolated until the test results are received from the lab;
7. Negative results are not reported to WCHD, and it would be the responsibility of the individual under quarantine to retain a copy of their negative test results. Before returning to school, the parent shall contact Jen Royalty via email at jroyalty@wayne-local.com to confirm and provide all documentation;
8. The individual will self-monitor for any symptoms of COVID-19 through day 14;
9. When present at school each morning through day 14, the individual will check in with medical personnel at Wayne Local Schools; the student is permitted to ride school transportation in their assigned seat and wear a mask at all times;
10. If at any time during the 14 days from the close contact the individual demonstrates symptoms, he/she is considered to be a probable case and will be isolated from school;
11. As a probable case the individual shall receive a confirmatory PCR diagnostic test for COVID-19;
12. The individual will remain in quarantine until test results are confirmed; the return to school date will depend on the efficiency of the testing lab and our internal contact tracing process;
13. Individuals are not to contact the Warren County Health Department to change start or return dates.
With the current coronavirus surge, the Warren County Health Department does not have the capacity to go back and manually change and reproduce every quarantine order. The recalculation process of reducing a 14 quarantine to a 10 day or 7 day quarantine will require cooperation between the student’s family and our local school district in order to return to school. Wayne Local Schools requires documentation and will conduct its own social tracing process to determine the start and ending dates of quarantines. Any family not willing to be cooperative with all aspects of the District’s modified quarantine program will remain on a 14 day quarantine and isolated from school and all events held on Wayne Local Schools property and facilities.
In addition, the modified quarantine process will also be used for extracurricular and co-curricular participation. In order to return to participation, full cooperation with the school nurse jroyalty@wayne-local.com and athletic director agarafolo@wayne-local.com is required or the quarantine will remain at the 14 day standard and the student will remain isolated from practices and competitions.
