Community Health Update
04.01.21
QUICK SCHEDULE UPDATE (because we know you're wondering)

As we settle back into our routines after spring break, we are actively working towards more on-campus days for students. Division Directors will share details next week about what school will look like for the rest of the spring.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EMAIL
  • The Brookline Department of Public Health has shifted its quarantine policy to align with MA State Guidelines. This means there is an important change to our quarantine policy for close contacts.
  • Thank you to everyone (all 82 families!) who got tested and shared their results with us after traveling over spring break. While MA travel guidelines no longer require testing, we greatly appreciate your commitment to keeping our community safe and strongly encourage any family who travels to get tested.
  • Many BVR faculty and staff were able to get vaccinated (with at least their first dose) over spring break! That said, we plan to continue our faculty and staff on-site testing for the remainder of the school year.
Overall health of the BVR community
Total cases overall since the start of school
36 positive cases
(25 students, 11 adults)
Total cases since the last update on March 4
6*
Five students and one adult. No contact tracing was needed since these cases occurred over spring break.
Total number of BVR community reported negative results—this includes school-directed and volunteered tests
2641
Remember to share all instances and results of COVID testing with the School Nurse at tossowski@bcdschool.org. And please continue adhering to the big 3 (mask-wearing, social distancing, hand washing) and limiting unnecessary social gatherings—both on and off campus.

Partnership and communication are critical during this time. Thank you for your commitment to keeping us informed and our community healthy.
Quarantine policy update
The Brookline Department of Public Health has shifted its quarantine policy for close contacts to more closely align with MA state guidelines. Previously, it had been adhering to a stricter policy (which meant we had to as well).

As of Monday, March 29, if an individual is exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual and they themselves have no symptoms, they have the following options before returning to campus (day of last exposure is Day 0):
OPTION 1
Strict quarantine for 7 days; get tested on Day 5 and quarantine until results are received. If the results are negative, an individual can return to campus on Day 8 but should continue to watch for symptoms through Day 14 and get retested if symptoms develop.
OPTION 2
Strict quarantine for 10 days, with no test. The individual can return to campus on Day 11 but should continue to watch for symptoms through Day 14 and get tested if symptoms develop.
If at any point in the 14 days symptoms develop, the individual must stay home and quarantine, regardless of their test result.
All test results will need to be shared with the School Nurse, Talia Ossowski via screenshot to provide date documentation, prior to being able to return to campus.
MA state travel advisory
As we shared in our communication last week, as of Monday, March 22, the MA state travel order has shifted to an advisory. Residents entering the state are now advised (rather than required) to (1) quarantine for 10 days upon their arrival or (2) receive a negative test result 72 hours prior to their arrival in Massachusetts. Click here to review the updated guidelines.

In other words, you are no longer required to quarantine or get tested if you have traveled. That said, we strongly advise families to continue doing so—especially if they are concerned about exposure—in order to keep our community healthy this spring.

Thank you for continuing to keep our community healthy by sharing test results. Post-spring break, 82 families have shared test results after traveling. Please continue to share test results (negative and positive) with the School Nurse, Talia Ossowski.
A note about faculty/staff testing
All BVR faculty and staff will continue to be tested, even if they are partially or fully vaccinated. We are committed to keeping our community healthy.
Resources & Guides
Click here for the most up-to-date information on the MA vaccine timeline.
If you're looking to get tested, visit the COVID-19 Test Site Locator, the Stop the Spread website or Boston Mobile Testing sites. You can also check out at-home testing: Pixel by LabCorp and Vault Health. Additional sites can be found on our MS and US FAQ pages.
As it's getting warmer, we will continue to have windows open and we are hoping to eat outside. Please remember to have your students dress for the weather!