Covid Update

We have been in close contact with the Chester County Health Department, and at a county-wide meeting for school leaders on August 15, 2022, we were given very clear updates and guidelines for this school year. The changes for this year include the following:  

• There will be no contact tracing, and someone with a known exposure is not expected to quarantine. There is no difference between exposure at school or at home.  
• Schools are no longer required to announce positive cases or exposures.  
• When there is a positive case, the initial quarantine remains 5 days (following the testing day, which counts as Day 0), with the opportunity to return on Day 6 if symptoms have subsided. A negative test is no longer required to return on Day 6.  
• Policy guidelines are the same for early childhood and K-12.  

Overall, the message being given to schools is that the responsibility for masking, testing, and vaccination now lies with each individual (and family), and not with the school. We will remain a mask-optional (and mask-friendly) environment for anyone who chooses to wear a mask. And as always, the most important thing is to stay home when showing symptoms of any sickness and to not return to school until fever-free for at least 24 hours and other symptoms are subsiding.  

We will also keep our website updated with current information, with links to external resources (see below). 

Monkeypox Guidelines 

We have also received updates from the CCHD about monkeypox. As of now, the main thing to know is that if someone presents with a rash they should not come to school and should see a doctor. If someone presents with a rash at school they will be sent home. The school cannot assess whether or not a rash is monkeypox. Isolation of a confirmed case can last between 2-4 weeks, but we as a school have been told that “no mass notifications should be sent out if a staff member, faculty member or student is diagnosed with monkeypox.” More information can be found at: https://www.chesco.org/5171/Monkeypox