SHPA COVID-19 Response Update January 20, 2022

Dear SHPA Families,
It has been another challenging week with respect to student absence and staff coverage, with over 20 students and nearly 10 staff positive cases identified on Tuesday, requiring significant contact tracing and additional quarantines. We appreciate all of the support of our parents and guardians as well as the hard work of our teachers and staff. This all comes ahead of what we hope will be a peak next week in the current surge of the Omicron variant as we temporarily shift to at-home learning. Following that, we are planning and sharing the following updates as we continue to do our best to monitor changes to guidance and manage many different communications as part of our ongoing COVID-19 response:

• Reduced Quarantine Period: Effective Monday, January 31st, when contact tracing cases on or after this date: Unvaccinated students who are asymptomatic and test negative may return to school after 5 days, with an additional symptom screening, including a temperature check, by health office staff the morning of their return. Reduced quarantine periods for household contacts depend upon whether a student can separate from the positive case at home and continue wearing a mask at school (apart from the lunch period) among other criteria.

• No reduced isolation period: We are not reducing the isolation period for positive case students at this time due to the current surge and related space, staffing, and privacy concerns during the lunch period.

• Tests: Our school test supply is limited and used to send home with quarantined or symptomatic students. You may order free at-home tests here. We are not yet in a position to implement a successful and sustainable test-to-stay procedure.

• Masks: Data suggests single-layer cloth masks provide less protection against transmission of the Omicron variant, so we encourage families to consider alternatives, including free options, knowing that face coverings which are comfortable and fit well are most important. We will be offering more protective masks for staff in conjunction with a reduced isolation period per coverage needs.

• Middle School Booster Clinic: We will be hosting a vaccine booster clinic for SHPA middle school students this Friday, January 21st, from 7:00 – 9:00 a.m., in our Richfield Campus gymnasium. Boosters have been shown to provide added protection against infection and in particular against serious illness. Please continue to visit our COVID-19 page for this and other information.

In appreciation of your continued partnership,

The SHPA COVID-19 Response Team