Dear LS Students, Families and Staff,
LS has updated its contact tracing rules to be consistent with the revised state school guidance that was released on April 20.
A close contact will still include anyone who has been within 6 feet of a person who has tested positive for COVID for 15 minutes (in the aggregate or more) within a period of 24 hours during the time when the person was infectious. The infectious period is presumed to be 48 hours prior to the appearance of first symptoms or prior to the date of testing if the person is asymptomatic.
There is now a revised guidance for classroom and bus exposure only. A close contact with an exposure less than 3 feet will still need to quarantine. However, a close contact with an exposure between 3 and less than six feet will not need to quarantine. Yet, if symptomatic, quarantining will be required. All individuals identified as close contacts are encouraged to test for COVID and will need to be monitored for the appearance of symptoms.
For all other exposures not in a classroom or a school bus, a close contact with an exposure up to 6 feet will still need to quarantine.
This underscores the importance of wearing masks at all times while in school (except during mask breaks and needing to drink or eat) and maintaining appropriate distancing in the classroom or during mask breaks. This has critical implications when it comes to contact tracing. This is also why it is very important to leave classroom, supervised study, and cafeteria seating as they have been measured and placed.
The quarantine rules will be the same for ALL students and staff. The earliest one can return after quarantine is day 8 after a negative result for a test taken on day 5 of quarantine. I have attached the state quarantine protocols. Please understand that these are state requirements.
Thank you to our dedicated LS and health department nurses who have been so diligent and patient on our behalf. We are grateful for the service you have provided. Please do not hesitate to reach out to
[email protected] with any questions about contact tracing and quarantining.
**UPDATE
If you are identified as a close contact you will NOT need to quarantine if:
1) you have tested positive for COVID within the last 90 days; or
2) it has been two weeks since you were fully vaccinated AND you are not symptomatic.
Sincerely,
Bella Wong