Warren Consolidated Schools issued the following announcement on Jan. 20.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Warren Consolidated Schools has worked closely with the Macomb County Health Department (MCHD) and its expert guidance in the development of health and safety protocols. This week, the MCHD has revised its guidance for how schools should approach the isolation and quarantine of students and staff for in school exposure. The most important pieces have stayed the same - sick students must stay home, and the district will still notify families of positive cases in the school buildings.
PROTOCOL CHANGE
The Macomb County Health Department has adjusted its contact tracing and school-based case notification from individual to entire classroom. No longer will individuals be identified as close contacts. Instead, the entire class where a positive case was reported will be notified of the potential exposure.
a. All students and staff in the impacted classroom should monitor for symptoms.
b. Those who have or develop symptoms should isolate and test for COVID-19.
c. Others may quarantine individually but are not required to unless symptoms develop.
These changes follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and will support our commitment to ensure healthy students who do not have symptoms to remain in school. They will also help with staffing issues and the massive amount of time being spent in schools on individual contact tracing. The continued daily contact tracing has moved the focus of our staff from other critical work, including supporting students’ social/emotional needs, school safety measures, staff development and educational leadership of our schools. We need our education professionals focused on the education and well-being of our students and staff.
The countywide protocol changes will become effective on Friday, January 21, 2022. If your student is currently quarantined due to in-school exposure or is on Day 6 or later of a COVID-19 illness and has significantly improved symptoms, he or she can return to school on Monday, January 24. Students/staff who are in Days 0-5 of a COVID-19 illness and unvaccinated siblings of those in Day 0- 5 of COVID should remain home until Day 6 and symptoms improve. The MCHD website reflects the new protocols. Your partnership remains critical. All families should continue to self-screen every morning and children who do not feel well must remain at home. In addition, I encourage you to take advantage of a federal program (https://www.covidtests.gov/) that provides up to four free COVID-19 testing kits to families.
Original source can be found here.
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