**Click here for PDF version of the below letter**

CV Community – 

Over the holiday break, on December 27, 2021, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) released new recommended guidance, specifically regarding how to respond to situations when an individual tests positive for COVID.  On December 30, 2021, the PA Department of Health (DOH) issued similar guidance through their Health Alert Network, recently updated with their PA-HAN #619 dated January 7, 2022. 

Our Board-approved Health and Safety Plan, “CVSD will review any recommendations from the PA DOH/PDE/CDC and determine if/how we can implement prevention and mitigation measures, to the greatest extent practical based upon community/District needs.” 

We follow the current protocol regarding a positive test: the individual who tests positive is to isolate for 10 days (after date of symptoms onset or after positive test if asymptomatic), with a return after those ten days dependent on being symptom-free and fever-free without medicine for 24 hours.  The updated change from CDC and DOH allows for a shorter isolation timeframe, as follows:

• (CDC) – Stay home for five (5) days; If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after five (5) days, you can leave your house; Continue to wear a mask around others for five days; If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves.
• (DOH) – Isolate at home for five (5) days; If a person has no symptoms or has resolved or improving symptoms (including fever) after Day 5 of isolation, the person with COVID-19 may leave their house provided they wear a well-fitting mask when around other people. 

Due to the impact COVID has had on our faculty and staff, and in order to continue uninterrupted in-person instruction, per Board approval on January 10, 2022, we are retroactively implementing the following new guidelines for faculty and staff who test positive.

• Isolate at home for five (5) days (Day 1 of isolation begins after the first day of symptoms or after date of positive test if asymptomatic); After Day 5 of isolation, the faculty/staff member may return to work as long as there are no symptoms or the symptoms are improving (including fever-free without medication for 24 hours); Returning faculty and staff will wear a mask until after Day 10.

Due to the impact COVID has had on our student body, and in order to minimize interruptions to in-person learning and participation in activities, per Board approval on January 10, 2022, we are retroactively implementing the following guidelines for our students who test positive.

• Isolate at home for five (5) days (Day 1 of isolation begins after the first day of symptoms or after date of positive test if asymptomatic); After Day 5 of isolation, the student may return to school as long as there are no symptoms or the symptoms are improving (including fever-free without medication for 24 hours); Returning students should wear a mask until after Day 10.

Regarding household close contacts, per Board approval on January 10, 2022, we are retroactively reducing the length of the quarantine of household members who are close contacts with the COVID-positive individual to align with the updated CDC/DOH recommendations.

• Currently, if you are a household close contact (someone in the house is COVID-positive), you need to quarantine for 10 days until the COVID-positive household member’s isolation period is over PLUS 10 more days for quarantine (20 total days).
• With updated guidelines, if you are fully vaccinated (Ages 18 and older:  full vaccine series plus booster; or full Pfizer series or full Moderna series within the last five months; or full J&J series within last two months, OR if ages 5 to 17, full vaccine series of Pfizer), you do not have to quarantine as long as you remain asymptomatic.  You should wear a mask during the infected individual’s isolation period and for an additional 10 days after the isolation ends (15 days total). 
• With updated guidelines, if you are not fully vaccinated and are a household close contact (someone in the house is COVID-positive), you need to quarantine for 5 days until the COVID-positive household member’s isolation period is over PLUS 5 more days for quarantine (10 total days).  You should also wear a mask for an additional 5 days after leaving quarantine (15 days total).

Remember, if you are not feeling well, STAY HOME!  Do not come to school sick, only to be sent home by the school nurses.  Our nursing staff is doing an amazing job in overwhelming circumstances; you can help them even a little by not coming to school when you are experiencing symptoms.  Continue to look out for others as we do our best to continue to navigate the ongoing challenges of COVID! 

As always, your patience, grace, flexibility and understanding are greatly appreciated by the faculty, staff and students of CV!!

 
Dave Zuilkoski, EdD
Superintendent