Elementary School News
Warren County Health District's (WCHD) Protocol
Posted on: July 31, 2020
Warren County Health District’s (WCHD) Protocol:
- WCHD will work directly with our District’s nurses and leadership to conduct contact tracing to determine exposure and determine the need to isolate and quarantine.
- The definition of Exposure is: being within six feet of a person who tested positive, whether wearing a mask or not, for a duration of 15 minutes or more. An individual who is a contact of a contact of someone who has tested positive is not considered exposed.
*Note - The CDC appears to have changed this to 10 minutes.
- The definition of Isolation is: a person who tested positive; must be totally isolated for 10 days, can return to school/work on the 11th day if symptom free. Upon reentry the person who has been isolated shall complete a brief Q&A, exam with a school nurse.
- The definition of Quarantine is: a person who was exposed, has not tested positive; must stay in quarantine for 14 days to monitor symptoms. Upon reentry the person who has been quarantined shall complete a brief Q&A, exam with a school nurse.
- If a child or staff member tests positive.....That child or staff member goes into isolation. The ONLY people placed in quarantine are those identified as having been within six feet for at least 15 minutes or more. The whole class or cohort is NOT placed in quarantine.
- A cohort is a group of individuals participating in an activity such as athletics, band, school transportation, or school function.
- For COVID like symptoms, not considered exposure and not requested to quarantine, an individual should be fever free without fever-reducer medicine for 72 hours.
WCHD has THREE official letters they will coordinate with our District’s school nurses and leadership:
- Letter from Department of Health to those who were Exposed and must be Quarantined;
- Letter from the District to students and staff in that class or cohort unit who were NOT Exposed and will NOT be Quarantined;
- General notice of awareness to the entire school or cohort about a positive test in the school or cohort.
