COVID Updates
Changes to Isolation and Quarantine
Elm Road Families,
As you may be aware, on December 27, the CDC revised its recommended quarantine and isolation guidelines for those who test positive and those exposed to COVID from 10 days to five (5) days under certain circumstances. Subsequently, the Indiana Department of Health updated their guidelines for schools on December 30.
For school districts, such as P-H-M, that have a mask requirement, the IDOH updated quarantine guidelines allow for students and staff who test positive to:
Stay home for 5 days
Return to school Day 6 if asymptomatic or symptoms are resolving and continue to mask for 5 days in classroom (if unable to mask properly at all times, must remain isolated at home for full 10 days)
Fever-free for 24 hours without medication and other symptoms improving
The quarantine guidelines for those exposed to COVID in the classroom are:
As long as they continue to be asymptomatic, student/staff may remain in school and continue to wear a mask properly at all times, test on Day 5 if possible
If symptoms develop, get a test and stay home and if positive, follow isolation guidance. If the test is negative, return to school when symptoms have resolved.
There are more recommended changes from the IDOH. After fully reviewing the IDOH guidance, P-H-M Administration has updated the District’s “Safe & Healthy Learning Environment” plan to reflect all updates. Click here to view the updated “P-H-M Health & Safety Overview: Winter 2022.” You can view the entire outline of quarantine & isolation changes on pages 11 & 12 of the ”P-H-M Health & Safety Overview: Winter 2022” plan; all major changes to the document are highlighted in yellow.
If a student or staff member is currently quarantined or isolated and has already met the 5-day quarantine and is asymptomatic, please return to school tomorrow (Wednesday, January 5, 2022). Please make sure to fully review the revised guidelines so that you know if they apply to you/your student(s) case(s). Please contact me if you have any questions.
Voluntary P-H-M Testing Clinic:
For staff members and students who need to be tested, P-H-M offers voluntary FREE BinaxNOW rapid antigen testing at the P-H-M Bank Locker Room Building located on the corner of Bittersweet and McKinley Hwy (US20) near Penn High School. Parents and staff should enter off McKinley Hwy. The clinic is open when school is in session on Mondays, Wednesdays, and now Fridays from 7:00 – 9:00 a.m. No appointment is necessary. Click here for more details.
Voluntary P-H-M Vaccination Clinic:
Tuesday, January 18, 5 - 7:30 p.m. P-H-M will offer another Voluntary Vaccine Clinic. The clinic will provide the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in conjunction with the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center free of charge to all students (ages 5+ due to the FDA extension of the Emergency Use Authorization), staff, and parents/guardians. This voluntary event is being held after school hours. Click here for more details.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Beers