MCBOE COVID Procedure Update

Implementing universal masking, spacing, and mitigating recommendations will allow more students to remain in school, more parents and grandparents to remain at work, and most importantly prevent an outbreak in the school that could spread to the community at large. The Monroe County Board of Education will highly encourage but not require masking, space to the greatest extent possible, and continue other mitigating strategies to prevent the spread of COVID.

Monroe County Board of Education COVID Procedures:

  • Masks are highly recommended but not required and 3-6 feet distancing will continue to be maintained, to the greatest extent possible.
  • Masks are mandatory on public transportation, distancing will be maintained to the best ability possible, and close contacts will not be sent home.  Regardless of the mask policy at school, passengers and drivers must wear masks on school buses, including on buses operated by public and private school systems, subject to the exclusions and exemptions in CDC’s Order.
  • Positive cases and Outbreaks (2 or more cases in same class from different household) will be reported to ADPH using the online report card.
  • At this time the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is responsible for contact tracing and quarantining close contacts.  Please see below for information on close contacts.
  • These guidelines may be revised in the event of an outbreak and/or extreme increase in positive cases.

    Positive Cases

  • Individuals who test positive for or who are diagnosed with COVID-19 must isolate for 5 days from the onset of symptoms or the positive test result, be 24 hours without fever or use of fever reducing medications, and must have symptom improvement before returning to school. (Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation). The individual must wear a well-fitted mask for 5 additional days in order to return.  
  • Individuals with symptoms of or suspected COVID will be isolated and masked until picked up by parent. The individual will be sent home and advised to seek care from a healthcare provider.
  • Negative testing will not be required to return to school or work. Completion of the 5-day isolation at home along with being fever free and having improvement in symptoms is sufficient for return. The individual will be required to wear a well-fitted mask for 5 additional days after the 5-day isolation in order to return. Those that choose not to mask will need to isolate for the full 10 days.
  • If someone is sent home with symptoms and tests negative for COVID, per ADPH, an alternate diagnosis to explain symptoms must be provided from the healthcare provider in order for the individual to return.
  • Positive Home Tests should be reported to the school nurse, reported to ADPH as a positive case, and will follow the same guidelines listed above for positive cases.
  • Positive home tests, per ADPH, will not be sufficient to exclude an individual from future isolation from school if they are exposed to a Coivd-19 positive person. Positive results from a PCR or rapid swab conducted by an authorized testing entity are required to be excluded from future close contact isolation.

     

    Close Contacts

    The CDC definition of a close contact is someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.  An infected person can spread SARS-CoV-2 starting from 2 days before they have any symptoms (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days before the positive specimen collection date), until they meet the criteria for discontinuing home isolation.    

     

    Asymptomatic close contacts who meet the K-12 classroom student exclusion do not need to be sent home unless they develop symptoms. Per ADPH to meet exclusion criteria: all individuals must be in masks and 3 feet or more from an infected individual. Example: two students both have masks on and remain 3 feet apart, if one tests positive, the other will not have to isolate from school.  APDH will be responsible for close contacting.

     

    Ongoing exposure means being in contact with an infected person by sharing the same living space, sleeping with an infected person, eating with an infected person, or any other circumstances where persons are closely exposed to one another.

     

  • The ADPH will be responsible for close contacting for positive cases in the schools.   The school will report positive cases via the ADPH report card.  Parents will be notified via letter of any COVID positive case in the student’s homeroom class.  Parents should monitor their student for any symptoms of COVID and contact their health care provider for any symptoms or concerns.
  • Masks are mandatory on public transportation, distancing will be maintained to best ability possible, and close contacts will not be sent home.
  • The following do NOT need to quarantine but should wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days from date of last close contact with COVID-19 positive individual:
    • You are ages 18 or older and have received all recommended vaccine doses, including boosters and additional primary shots for some immunocompromised people
    • You are ages 5-17 years and completed the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines
    • You had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days (You tested using a viral test)
  • The following SHOULD quarantine for close contact with someone with COVID-19:
    • You are ages 18 or older and completed the primary series of recommended vaccine, but have not received a recommended booster
    • You received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine (completing the primary series) over 2 months ago and have not received a recommended booster shot
    • You are not vaccinated or have not completed a primary vaccine series
    • Quarantine should include:
      • Stay home and away from other people for at least 5 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19.  The date of your expose is considered day 0. Wear a well-fitted mask when around others at home, if possible.
      • For 10 days after your last contact with someone with COVID-19, watch for fever (100.4 degrees F or greater), cough, shortness of breath, or COVID-19 symptoms.  Contact your health care provider for any of these symptoms.
      • If you develop symptoms, get tested immediately and isolate until you receive your test results.  If you test positive, follow isolation recommendations.
      • If you do not develop symptoms, get tested at least 5 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19
        • If you test negative, you can leave you home, but continue to wear a well-fitting mask when around others at home and in public until 10 days after your last close contact with someone with COVID-19
      • If you are unable to get a test 5 days after last contact with someone with COVID-19, you can leave your home after day 5 if you have been without COVID-19 symptoms throughout the 5-day period. Wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days after your date of last contact when around others at home and in public.
      • If you are unable to wear a well fitted mask when around others, you should continue to quarantine for 10 days.
  • Anyone that is reported as having been in direct contact to a household positive, will be instructed to isolate from school for the allotted time period.

Parents/Guardians of Athletic participants will be notified when there is a positive case involving their athlete’s team. Due to the nature of athletics, not all close contacts can be easily identified. After notification of a positive case, parents should monitor their child for symptoms in order to identify new cases quickly, keep them home to prevent further spread within the school or athletic team, and follow-up with a healthcare provider for further guidance

 

These guidelines may be revised in the event of an outbreak and/or extreme increase in positive cases.

COVID Chart