We were happy to welcome our students back on campus this week. The district shared the following COVID-19 update with parents on 9/1/20 with some important health protocols in place for this school year.
On September 1, the district had one staff member and four students in quarantine and six students in isolation districtwide due to either symptoms or exposure to COVID-19. Families were notified if their student was a close contact with one of these students or staff member. Close contacts are those people within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes. Part of our health protocol process is contacting the Hamilton County Public Health Department for contact tracing and following up with all safety and sanitization recommendations for our building.
At this time, families need to be vigilant in monitoring for symptoms and continuing to wash their hands. As a reminder, all families should be doing daily health checks PRIOR to coming to school. Reading staff will also do temperature checks of all students before they enter their classrooms.
A person who is experiencing symptoms or who has a positive test will be in isolation to separate this person from others while he/she is contagious. COVID-19 is contagious for 10 days, and so isolation is for 10 days after symptoms first appear or a positive test if asymptomatic.
A person who has been exposed to a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19 will be in quarantine. This is to separate this person from others while they wait for possible symptoms to appear. The incubation period, or the amount of time it takes to become ill after exposure, is 2-14 days. For this reason, quarantine is 14 days from the last known exposure.
The following student/staff exposure protocols will be followed:
If exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 at school:
- Individual is immediately separated from others
- Student sent to an isolation room, with staff supervision, to await parent pick up
- Students exhibiting any symptoms must stay home (isolation) for 10 days
- See “Returning to School” below
- Staff relieved of duties and sent home
- Areas of the building where student/staff has occupied will be closed and thoroughly cleaned/disinfected
If exposed to COVID-19 or a presumed case of COVID-19:
- Individual must stay home (quarantine) for 14 days after last exposure
- Monitor symptoms - temperature, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms
- If no symptoms after 14 days, individual may return to school
Returning to school - all of the following criteria must be met Probable or Confirmed case:
- Fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication
- Symptoms have improved
- At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared
Thank you for your cooperation as we work together to keep all of our staff and students healthy.