COVID Updates

• When your student has tested positive for COVID-19

• When a family member has tested positive for COVID-19

• When your student has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and now has symptoms

• When you have any questions or concerns

*Quarantine guidance may be adjusted to respond to and control outbreaks within unique settings as needed.

Close contacts will no longer be required to quarantine as of 2/21/2022. Close contacts outside of the home (school, extra curricular activities, friends etc) are asked to monitor for symptoms for 10 days from when they were last with that person. A person who lives in a home where a household member has tested positive for COVID-19 is asked to monitor for symptoms for 10 days from when the positive person developed symptoms. Masking is encouraged for 10 days as well.

Anyone who is within 0-6 feet of a positive person when the positive and the close contact are both unmasked at the same time for an accumulation of 15 minutes or more. A person who lives in a home with someone who has tested positive is also considered a close contact.

a. Elementary level (Kellogg, Richland, and Ryan Intermediate): Nurse Megan will send an email to the classroom teacher who will send it to the parents/guardians listed on file.

b. GLMS/GLHS: Alerts will no longer be going out for classroom exposures at these levels.

c. Gateway Academy: Nurse Megan will email the GW administrator who will send it on to building parents.

*Please note, your student does not need to quarantine unless they develop symptoms. Your student may or may not have been near the positive person in an accumulation of 15 minutes or more, but please monitor your student for symptoms. If symptoms develop please keep your student home, testing is encouraged.

**Feedback from GLMS/GLHS parents was that the notifications were too frequent due to multiple class periods and high numbers of positive students. At the elementary level as well as Gateway Academy, students are generally with the same students and staff for their entire school day which results in greater exposure.

If a student exhibits any or a combination of the symptoms listed below they may be sent to the office to be picked up from school. The student may return to school if: ● at least 24 hours fever, vomit, and/or diarrhea free without medication. Testing is encouraged with any symptoms.

Symptoms to watch out for (may be one or a combination of the following):

• Temperature 100.4 F or higher, or signs of a fever (chills/sweating)

• Sore throat

• Cough (sometimes barky)

• Headache

• Abdominal pain

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Loss of taste/smell

• Nasal congestion

• Fatigue

• Muscle/Body aches

The student may return to school if:

● at least 24 hours fever, vomit, and/or diarrhea free without medication. Testing is encouraged with any symptoms.

The positive student or staff member may return as early as day 6. Day “0” is the day symptoms begin or day test was taken for those without symptoms. The student or staff member may return on day 6 as long as there has been no fever, vomiting, or diarrhea for at least 24 hours, and other symptoms improving. A mask is encouraged through day 10. Additional testing is not required to return to school (no negative test required to return).

Currently GLCS is not running a testing center, however free tests are available in the main office of each school building and can be picked up or sent home with students.