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COVID-19 Safety Plan » COVID-19 Safety Plan

COVID-19 Safety Plan

Practices In Place

Screening of symptoms
We are asking students/families and staff to continue using the Home Screening Checklist before entering our buildings.  Stay home if showing Covid like symptoms or ill, and seek COVID testing if symptomatic.


COVID-19 Testing
  • We will continue to provide free rapid test kits to be used at home to both students and staff upon request (as supplies allow).  Please request by calling the main office of your student’s campus.

  • Rapid testing during school hours will continue to be available if a student develops symptoms during the school day. We will always get parent/guardian consent before testing. 


Face coverings
Face masks are optional in all our indoor spaces including transportation vehicles at this time.  The mask policy will be reviewed as needed if community levels increase to ‘high’.


Physical distancing
Classroom size will not be capped or limited. Physical distancing is no longer universally recommended and is not possible when we operate at full capacity.


Transportation - school buses and public buses
Masks are optional on all public transportation.


Increased hand washing and sanitizing stations
Good hand washing and sanitizing practices will continue to be encouraged throughout the school day.  Hand sanitizer will be available throughout our buildings. 


Cleaning and sanitation procedures for materials and surfaces
All buildings will be professionally cleaned every evening and staff will participate in disinfecting high contact surfaces during the day as needed.


Enhanced air filtration and ventilation practices 
Approved HEPA filters are utilized in portable units and centrally to help remove viruses and other pathogens in circulating indoor air, which is an ‘unseen’ strategy to greatly reduce the spread of COVID19 and other viruses.  Further ventilation will be accomplished by opening windows and taking advantage of outdoor spaces as weather permits. 


Eating meals and snacks
Meals and snacks will be provided normally respective to grade level and campus.


Isolation & Quarantine
  • For all individuals who test positive, they must isolate out of school x5 days minimum.  We will ask returning students and staff members to wear a KN95 (issued from the health office) upon returning through Day 10 following a positive test.
  • The CDC no longer recommends quarantine for individuals who have been closely exposed, regardless of vaccination status.  The recommendation is to wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days following exposure and test at Day 5 or if symptomatic.
  • Universal contact tracing is no longer recommended (except in very high-risk settings, such as nursing homes). 

 

Vaccination
  • CDC recommends everyone stay up to date on COVID19 vaccination as this is the best way to prevent severe illness.
  • There are many community options for getting the vaccines including primary care clinics, state-sponsored sites, and free clinics offered by St. Mary’s held at various locations throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul.  
  • If you’d like help locating a vaccine for you or your student, please contact the office at your student’s campus.

 

Communicating School Community Case Rates
    • There will no longer be a central dashboard with daily updates. 
    • Communication will come from your student’s campus on a weekly basis with case counts for the week and the community level status for Hennepin County.   

Monkeypox

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
  • At this time, Monkeypox has not been deemed a threat within settings like schools and child-care centers.  
  • Monkeypox is not spread through aerosol particles that stay suspended in the air (like COVID).   
  • It is unclear how often it is spread in larger saliva/respiratory droplets and scientists are still studying this.
  • Monkeypox has not been seen to be spread by commonly touched objects like door-knobs and money. 
  • Generally close and prolonged contact is needed for it to spread between individuals. 
  • Monkeypox is killed on surfaces by typical disinfectants we use in our school buildings.
  • A person with monkeypox can spread it to others from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.


The School Health Director/RN will continue to monitor the prevalence of Monkeypox in MN as well as CDC and MN Department of Health recommendations.

If suspicious rashes are noticed on a student they will be brought to the health office and Health Support staff will triage and consult with the Lead Nurse as needed. Parents/guardians will be notified and directed to have their student tested if there is concern that a bump/rash could be Monkeypox. Students or staff members suspected to have Monkeypox will be asked to remain out of school until confirmed negative.