Bristol County Agricultural High School: Aggie Weekly-January 7th

Good Afternoon Students, Parents, and Community Members:

We hope everyone fared well on the snow day on Friday. With midterms (see schedule below) coming up in two weeks, we will want to remind students to ensure they practice good study habits, which include a good night’s sleep as well as eating breakfast. Breakfast is always served in the cafeteria for FREE. Midterms is an opportunity for educators to assess student progress and make adjustments to close learning gaps.

This week’s HIGH 5 CLUB Student of Week- FELICIA SOARES

TeachMrBraga w/ Bekah Thielen

Updated COVID Guidelines (12.31.21)

Date: Friday, December 31, 2021

Subject: Update isolation/quarantine guidance

Good Afternoon Bristol Aggie Community,

As we continue to progress through this pandemic, we continue to be committed to providing you with updated information that impacts how we manage school operations. Yesterday, we received updated guidance that was approved by the Department of Education and Department of Public Health, which is an updated memo that was originally released on August 13, 2021. The full document can be found here, but we wanted to provide you with the highlights listed below. The changes from the previous standard (August 13th) are highlighted in yellow.

The updated guidance outlines that if you test positive, you should isolate for five (5) days. If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are improving after five (5) days, and you have been fever free for 24 hours, you can return to work on day six (6), but you must continue to wear a mask (both indoors and outdoors) for five (5) more days. (At Bristol Aggie, you should always wear your mask while indoors).

If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19 (see Protocol B- non symptomatic or Protocol C- symptomatic) and have been boosted or completely vaccinated, you should wear a mask for ten (10) days around others (indoors and outdoors) and test on day five (5), if possible. If you develop symptoms, get a test and stay home!

If you are not boosted or not vaccinated and have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 you should stay home for five days, test on day 5 and continue to wear a mask for five more days.

Updated Protocols:

Protocol A: For individuals who test positive for COVID-19

Protocol A for individuals who test positive

· Duration: Self-isolation for COVID-19 positive cases is a minimum of 5 days after symptom onset or after positive PCR or antigen test, if asymptomatic.

· Return to school: After 5 days[1] and once they have:

o Been without fever for 24 hours (and without taking fever-reducing medications); and,

o Experienced improvement in other symptoms.

o Following the 5-day isolation period, individuals must mask for 5 additional days when around others. Individuals who are unable to mask should follow the information provided in the FAQ released on October 12, 2021.

· Note: Return to school should be based on time and symptom resolution. Even with a 5-day isolation period, repeat viral testing prior to return is not recommended.

Protocol B: Protocol for asymptomatic close contacts

Close contacts who are not exempt from testing and quarantine response protocols and are asymptomatic follow the guidelines in Protocol B below. Please recall that all asymptomatic, fully vaccinated individuals are exempt from close contact testing and quarantine response protocols and therefore do not need to follow Protocol B. However, fully vaccinated individuals are expected to monitor for symptoms and stay home and get tested if they experience symptoms, in alignment with statewide guidance[1] and Protocol C.

Protocol B-1 (Recommended): Test and Stay

· Duration of Test and Stay: 5 days from the date of exposure

· Return to School: Close contacts can remain in school and do not have to quarantine, as long as they:

o Are asymptomatic

o Wear masks in school at all times, other than when eating or drinking. When these individuals cannot be masked (i.e., when eating or drinking) they should maintain 3 feet of distance from other individuals to the extent feasible.

o Take a rapid antigen test (e.g., BinaxNOW) on each school day and receive a negative result. When the 5 days from date of exposure includes weekends or holidays, individuals should quarantine on weekends, and if they remain asymptomatic, upon return to school to school be tested immediately. If the individual remains negative, they can stay in school.

o Conduct active monitoring for symptoms through day 10, and self-isolate at home if symptoms develop.

· Note: If an individual has symptoms at the time they are designated as a close contact or develops symptoms during the Test and Stay period or the 10 days following initial exposure, they should follow the protocol for symptomatic individuals (Protocol C). If an individual tests positive at any time, they should follow the protocol for individuals who test positive for COVID-19 (Protocol A).

Protocol B-2: Traditional protocol (if school does not have access to rapid daily testing or family or adult individual chooses not to participate in Test and Stay)

· Duration: Quarantine is at least 5 days from the date of exposure

· Return to School: After 5 days, returning on day 6, provided that they:

o Remain asymptomatic, and

o Conduct active monitoring for symptoms through day 10, self-isolate if symptoms develop, and adhere to strict mask use for an additional 5 days.

· Note: If an individual has symptoms at the time they are designated as a close contact or within the 5 days following initial exposure, they follow the protocol for symptomatic individuals (Protocol C). If an individual tests positive at any time, they follow the protocol for individuals who test positive for COVID-19 (Protocol A). For all those exposed, best practice would also include an antigen or PCR test for COVID-19 at day 5 after exposure. An antigen test may be self-administered and does not need to be proctored or performed by a healthcare professional.

Protocol C: Protocol for symptomatic individuals

Protocol C applies to vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals who experience the COVID-19 symptoms listed in Section 1 applicable to their status and who have not tested positive for COVID-19.

Protocol C for symptomatic individuals:

Protocol C-1 (Recommended): Return to school post-symptoms with test

· Duration: Dependent on symptom resolution

· Return to School: Individuals may return to school after they:

o Have received a negative PCR or antigen test result for COVID-19. An antigen test may be self-administered and does not need to be proctored or performed by a healthcare professional. Note: So long as the individual is not a close contact, if a medical professional makes an alternative diagnosis for the COVID-19-like symptoms, the individual may use this recommendation (e.g., for influenza or strep pharyngitis) in lieu of a PCR test or antigen test.

o Have improvement in symptoms

o Have been without fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.

· Note: If the symptomatic individual was a close contact who is not exempt from testing and quarantine response protocols, after symptoms resolve and they receive a negative PCR test, they should follow Protocol B-1 for Test and Stay.

o If Test and Stay is not available or the family or adult individual opts not to participate, they follow Protocol B-2.

Protocol C-2: Alternative protocol for symptomatic individuals who are not close contacts and choose not to receive a COVID test to return to school

· Duration: Isolation is at least 5 days from symptom onset.[1]

· Return to School: After 5 days, returning on day 6, assuming they:

o Have improvement in symptoms

o Have been without fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.

The single most important thing to do if any of the following symptoms are present in your child is to keep them home. Our collective health relies, in part, on individual attention and responsibility. Note that some symptoms of COVID-19 are the same as the flu or a bad cold; please do not assume it is another condition. When in doubt, keep your child home if they have any of the following symptoms and communicate with our school nurse at 508-669-6744 extension 1222 or email Ms. Anderson (EAnderson@bcahs.com).

Fever (100.40 Fahrenheit or higher) chills, or shaking chills

Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

New loss of taste or smell

Sore throat

Headache when in combination with other symptoms

Muscle aches or body aches

Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms

Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms

As you know, the COVID-19 Omicron variant is spreading quickly and we all must do our part to protect the Bristol Aggie community. As we stated at the beginning, your safety is our top priority. For more information on COVID-19 symptoms, testing and testing sites, visit, click here. Please contact our school nurse Ms. Anderson (EAnderson@bcahs.com) immediately should your child or someone in your home begin to show symptoms.

Thank you for your continued support. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me (KBraga@bcahs.com).

DESE FAQ (1.6.22)

Department of Elementary & Secondary Education and Department of Public Health

Frequently Asked Questions, January 6, 2022

When do the updated DPH/DESE Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios go into effect?

The updated DPH/DESE Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios were released on December 30, 2021 and were effective immediately. The protocols can be applied retroactively for people currently in isolation or quarantine. So, if an individual tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the date the updated guidance was released, they should now use the 5-day isolation or quarantine period and return to school once they have met certain conditions as outlined in the protocols.

Can individuals returning from quarantine and isolation remove their masks to eat meals?

Per the updated protocols, individuals returning from a 5-day isolation and quarantine must mask for an additional 5 days when around others. Like individuals participating in Test & Stay, during meals, masks should only be removed when individuals are actively eating. Additionally, DESE recommends a physical distance of at least 3 feet while eating, as feasible. This means masks must be worn when individuals are waiting for meals or sitting at lunch tables after meals are finished.

What is the definition of fully vaccinated as it relates to the eligibility for the updated isolation and quarantine guidance?

At this time, and as provided in the updated DPH/DESE Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios, fully vaccinated is still defined as two-weeks following the completion of the Pfizer or Moderna series or two-weeks following a single dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

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