Dear SGS Community,

I hope you had a relaxing and restful weekend.  Since school resumed, we have seen an uptick in the COVID case count within our community.  The cases identified at school have been traced to external spread and Ryan Peplinski continues to notify any potential close contacts. Yesterday, Ryan and I received updated information during a call from the SRHD team regarding new COVID guidance on Isolation and Quarantines from the WA Dept. of Health.  This comes in response to the CDC guidelines that were updated in late December (see below).  Since the CDC announcement, guidance has become increasingly more complex and the alignment from the various agencies at the Federal and State level has been delayed or inconsistent. While still complex, there is a bit more alignment and less complication with today’s updates.

Key points for schools from today’s update:

Isolation Requirement (tested positive): Isolate at home until 5 days have passed since symptom onset, or since the person tested positive provided that:

• No symptoms are present, or symptoms are resolving; AND

• No fever within past 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications; AND

• That person continues to wear a well-fitting mask around others until day 10.

Caveats:

• Applies to staff or students

• Onset day or test collection date is day zero

• This guidance applies regardless of vaccination status

• Testing at day 5 is recommended, but is not required

• If testing from day 5-9 is positive, then continue to isolate at home until day 10

Quarantine Requirement (close contact): Modified quarantine (Test to Stay) until 5 days have passed since the person’s last exposure date provided that:

• Person is asymptomatic; AND

• Meet Test to Stay requirements (baseline and 5-day test); AND

• That the person continues to wear a well-fitting mask around others until day 10.

Caveats:

• Applies to staff or students

• Exposure date is day zero

• This does not apply to someone who is considered to be up-to-date (see below) with their COVID-19 vaccinations

What Does Up-To-Date Mean?

• For people who are 18 years or older:

­People who are eligible for a booster and are 14 days post their booster shot; OR

­People who have two doses of an mRNA vaccine or a single dose of J&J but are not yet eligible for a booster shot based on the date of their last vaccine; OR

­People who have had a positive COVID-19 test in the last 90 days.

• For people who are 5-17 years of age:

­People who have two doses of an mRNA vaccine or a single dose of J&J;

­People who have had a positive COVID-19 test in the last 90 days;

­Currently a booster is not required, if eligible, but this area is rapidly changing and CDC may require boosters, if eligible, in the future.

For our students and teachers/staff, this will reduce the time away from school (limited to the contagious period) and will not require students that are a close contact to quarantine, unless they test positive.  We will continue to consult with SRHD on all individual cases, both positive tests and close contacts.  

Masking makes a difference!

The next 2-3 weeks will most likely be challenging with the number of cases projected to remain high in Spokane.  We continue to worry about student and staff health and safety and having ample coverage for classes if members of our faculty and staff are forced to isolate or quarantine for extended periods of time.  Our entire community continues to work together in mitigating the internal spread of this virus.  Face masks and vaccines have been shown to limit the severity and the spread of the virus.  We have seen the difference diligent masking has shown at school.  It is important that everyone continue to use well-fitting masks and the type of mask makes a difference with this contagious variant.  Here is a link for a one pager regarding N95 masks. The school has KN95 masks available if students would like to access them. The vaccination rate among our students (fully vaccinated) continues to increase and is currently nearly 72% overall.