School Response to positive COVID-19 Infection

Daily Screening for Symptoms – at home before school (See CAC screening forms — Secondary here and Elementary here)

Daily Screening for Close Contact/Potential Exposure – at home before school
-Had close contact (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes) with a person with confirmed COVID-19

Staying Home if Directed by Health Screening Protocols

Reporting Infection or Potential Infection to School Officials (student name will not be released)
-Allows for disinfecting and mitigation protocols to be implemented if appropriate.

Maintaining and Promoting Personal Hygiene
-Hand washing or hand sanitizing;
-Avoid touching face, mouth, eyes.

Wearing a Face Covering or Mask (when feasible and appropriate)
-Follow school guidelines while on campus and while participating in school events;
-Follow public health guidelines while in the community.

Physical Distancing
-Maintain physical distancing of six feet or greater if feasible while on campus and off-campus.

Social Distancing
-Reduce the risk of infection in the CAC community by avoiding non-essential large gatherings, travel to high infection areas, and limiting non-essential social activity outside of school.

Are students and staff required to quarantine before returning to school if they have traveled to an area designated as a “hot spot” by ADH?

CAC adheres to all ADH Quarantine Orders for staff and students. Currently there are NO quarantine requirements for travelers entering Arkansas based on the location of their travel. Please check for ADH Executive Quarantine Orders before future travel to areas that may be considered “hot spots.”

*Please note absences during the school year are designated as excused or unexcused per school policy as outlined in the Student Handbook.

Does the school screen for COVID-19 symptoms?

Preschool – DHS requires symptom and temperature screening of all preschool students and staff prior to entering the school building. 

K-12 – Effective July 23, 2020, CDC does not currently recommend universal symptom screenings (screening all students K-12) be conducted by schools. Daily before school at home screening is required of all students and staff.

What happens if a student displays symptoms of infectious illness while at school?

Students who develop any COVID-19 symptoms while at school will be placed in isolation per CDC guidelines until they go home or to a healthcare facility. Parents should be prepared to immediately pick their child up from school.

May students attend on-campus instruction if they display COVID-19 symptoms as a result of a non-infectious medical condition?

Yes. Families must provide the school with a physician’s statement documenting the condition.

Is everyone in a “cohort” required to quarantine if one person in the cohort contracts COVID-19?

Any person who meets the definition of “close contact” with a COVID-19 positive individual will be required to quarantine. We have implemented multiple mitigation strategies to reduce close contact between students and staff (e.g. classroom reconfiguration to meet physical distancing guidelines, limited student movement, installation of physical barriers when feasible and appropriate). Strict adherence to mitigation strategies may reduce the number of close contacts within a cohort.  Quarantine decisions will be made in consultation with ADH.

What are school protocols when a parent or other family member tests positive for COVID-19?

Students or staff within that family would be designated as a “close contact” and are required to quarantine per CDC guidelines. Students or staff who interacted with their “close contact” classmate/student are considered secondary contacts and are not required to quarantine.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that K-12 teachers, staff, and students wear cloth face coverings in public settings as able when around people who live outside of their household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. CDC has provided guidance that CAC has utilized to develop our face covering guidelines (see  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/community/CFC_Guide_for_School_Administrators.pdf and  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html)

A key consideration has been the recognition by CDC that young children (e.g. preschool or early elementary aged) may be unable to wear a mask properly, particularly for an extended period of time. The school will adhere to all ADH and DHS requirements and wearing of masks has been prioritized at times when it is difficult to maintain a distance of 6 feet from others (e.g. during carpool drop off or pick up, or when standing in line at school). CAC has modified class and common spaces to provide for physical distancing in as many school situations as possible.

Early Childhood (PreK-3, PreK-4)

• Per Department of Human Services guidelines, preschool students are not required to wear masks. Adults are required to wear masks.
• CAC requires wearing masks when feasible during arrival and departure times.
• Teachers may also have students wear masks for limited age-appropriate periods when physical distancing is not feasible (e.g. circle time) and as a health/hygiene learning activity.
• Parents should provide a Ziploc bag with the student’s name written in permanent marker on the outside of the bag. Student face coverings will be placed in the bag when not in use.
• Parents are asked to provide a spare face covering in a labeled Ziploc bag.
• All face coverings should be clearly labeled with child’s name or initials.
• Parents may attach their child’s mask to a lanyard to promote mask retention. Teachers may opt to remove masks and lanyards if they become a distraction or safety/health concern.
• Students and staff will be allowed to wear a face covering (mask, gaiter) of their choice. Coverings and lanyards must be free of writing, logos, figures, etc… with the exception of student name or initial.
• Students may be exempted from wearing a face covering due to documented health concerns.

Elementary School (K-4)

• Per ADH July 20, 2020, Face Coverings Directive, persons younger than 10 years of age are exempt from wearing a face covering.
• CAC requires wearing masks when feasible during arrival and departure times.
• Teachers may also have students wear masks for limited age-appropriate periods when physical distancing is not feasible.
• Parents should provide a Ziploc bag with the student’s name written in permanent marker on the outside of the bag. Student face coverings will be placed in the bag when not in use.
• Parents are asked to provide a spare face covering in a labeled Ziploc bag.
• All face coverings should be clearly labeled with child’s name or initials.
• Parents may attach their child’s mask to a lanyard to promote mask retention. Teachers may opt to remove masks and lanyards if they become a distraction or safety/health concern.
• Students and staff will be allowed to wear a face covering (mask, gaiter) of their choice. Coverings and lanyards must be free of writing, logos, figures, etc… with the exception of student name or initial.
• Students may be exempted from wearing a face covering due to documented health concerns.

Grades 5-12

• Per ADH July 20, 2020, Face Coverings Directive, the Secretary of Health requires every person in Arkansas to wear a face covering completely over the mouth and nose in all indoor environments and all outdoor settings, excluding private residences, where there is exposure to non-household members, unless there exists ample space of (6) feet or more to practice physical distancing.
• Students must wear face coverings at all times except for the following:

Students may remove face coverings for eating and drinking;

Students may remove face coverings when appropriate physical distancing measures are in place as determined by a CAC staff member;

Students may remove face coverings on a case-by-case basis for specific instructional needs, including physical education activities, as determined by a teacher, in which case the teacher will require appropriate physical distancing measures;

Students may remove face coverings while participating in athletic activities where a six foot distance is not achievable, but a mask is inhibitory to the activity or active exercise; or

Students may be exempted due to a documented health concerns.

• Parents/students should provide a Ziploc bag with the student’s name written in permanent marker on the outside of the bag. Student face coverings will be placed in the bag when not in use.
• Parents/students are asked to provide a spare face covering in a labeled Ziploc bag to be stored in their “home room”.
• All face coverings should be clearly labeled with child’s name or initials.
• Parents/students may attach their child’s mask to a lanyard to promote mask retention. Teachers may opt to remove masks and lanyards if they become a distraction or safety/health concern.
• Students and staff will be allowed to wear a face covering (mask, gaiter) of their choice. Coverings and lanyards must be free of writing, logos, figures, etc… with the exception of student name or initial.

CDC Guidance to Parents and Guardians Regarding Face Coverings

Cloth face coverings should not be worn by:

• Children younger than 2 years old.

• Anyone who has trouble breathing.

• Anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cloth face covering without assistance.

Actions to consider:

• Have multiple cloth face coverings, so you can wash them daily and have back-ups ready.
• Choose cloth face coverings that:
• Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face.
• Completely cover the nose and mouth.
• Are secured with ties or ear loops.
• Include multiple layers of fabric.
• Allow for breathing without restriction.
• Can be washed and machine dried without damage or change to shape.
• Label your child’s cloth face coverings clearly in a permanent marker so that they are not confused with those of other children.
• Practice with your child putting on and taking off cloth face coverings without touching the cloth.
• Explain the importance of wearing a cloth face covering and how it protects other people from getting sick.
• Consider talking to your child about other people who may not be able to wear cloth face coverings for medical reasons (e.g., asthma).
• As a family, model wearing cloth face coverings, especially when you are in situations where physical distancing is difficult to maintain or impossible.
• If you have a young child, help build their comfort wearing a cloth face covering and become comfortable seeing others in face covers.
• Praise your child for wearing a cloth face covering correctly.
• Put a cloth face covering on stuffed animals.
• Draw a cloth face covering on a favorite book character.
• Show images of other children wearing cloth face coverings.
• Allow your child to choose their cloth face covering that meets any dress requirements your school may have.
  

Suggestions from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Consider providing your child with a container (e.g., labeled re-sealable bag) to bring to school to store their cloth face coverings when not wearing it (e.g., when eating).

-Stay home and monitor health
-Contact the school and provide appropriate information
-If asymptomatic, complete 14 day quarantine and return to school
-If symptomatic, follow “EXPERIENCING COVID-19 SYMPTOMS” Protocol below

Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their state or local health department.

What counts as close contact?

• You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more
• You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
• You had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them)
• You shared eating or drinking utensils
• They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you.

What is a secondary contact?

An individual who has had contact with someone identified as a Close Contact to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. A secondary contact is not required to quarantine.

For CDC information regarding quarantine and when to start and end quarantine see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html

Temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher when taken by mouth;
Sore throat;
New uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing
Diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain; or
New onset of severe headache, especially with a fever;
New loss of taste or smell;

STAY AT HOME AND MONITOR HEALTH

(Seek medical care if experiencing emergency warning signs of COVID-19)

Symptoms without Close Contact/Potential Exposure	Symptoms with Close Contact/Potential Exposure
○ Contact the school and provide appropriate information	○ Contact the school and provide appropriate information
○ Enhanced disinfecting protocols implemented	○ Enhanced disinfecting protocols implemented
○ Return to school when symptom free for 24 hours without fever reducing medications	○ Seek an evaluation by a Healthcare Provider if symptoms are consistent with COVID-19 combined with Close Contact/Potential Exposure with a person with a confirmed COVID-19
	○ Update the school with healthcare provider recommendations
	○ Quarantine while awaiting results if COVID-19 testing is recommended
	○ If NEGATIVE TEST RESULTS, return to school after completing 14 day quarantine and when symptom free for 24 hours without fever reducing medications
	○ If POSITIVE TEST RESULTS, notify school immediately
	○ CAC will contact ADH hotline (833-504-1055)
	○ Contact tracing will be initiated
	○ Return to school upon completion of 10 day quarantine and when symptom free for 24 hours without fever reduction