COVID Update & New Guidelines (1.17.22)

Weekly PCR Testing Available On-Site Starting this Week


Dear Da Vinci Families,

Thank you to all families who picked up and used at-home test kit results prior to our Jan. 10 return to campus. Through the at-home process we identified 114 positive cases of COVID-19 among students, none of whom returned to campus, thereby avoiding exposure for our Da Vinci staff and students. 

As of end of day Jan. 14, we had 39 newly reported positive cases of COVID-19 among students or staff who had been on campus since Jan. 10. See COVID dashboard here. In keeping with Public Health guidance, positive COVID cases among students or employees who did not come onto campus while potentially infectious or resume school since winter break are not included. 

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) issued new COVID-19 guidelines last week that Da Vinci Schools have implemented. The changes prioritize responding to positive cases and exposure notification and update guidelines for quarantining after exposure to COVID-19 to reduce unnecessary student absences. 
 
Da Vinci has updated our COVID-19 safety protocols in line with LACDPH’s additional new guidelines as follows:
 
EXPOSURE NOTIFICATION
 
  • Parents/caregivers of infected children will be notified of the positive result via email and asked to keep the infected child at home. Parents/caregivers who have questions about isolation requirements may now call the LACDPH COVID-19 Information Hotline directly at 1-833-540-0473. This line is available in multiple languages and operates 7 days a week from 8:00 AM to 8:30 PM.

  • LACDPH’s new guidelines recommend schools contact entire classrooms where a positive case has been identified and recommend all students consider testing for COVID-19 due to possible exposure. Da Vinci schools will continue to notify via School Messenger or email with classroom- specific notifications. Da Vinci identifies close contacts that had unmasked exposure and notifies them individually.
 
QUARANTINE GUIDELINES FOR EXPOSURE
 
Symptomatic students and unvaccinated students with unmasked exposure are required to quarantine at home.
 
Asymptomatic students with a mask-on-mask exposure at school who test negative in twice weekly testing (i.e., once as soon as possible after exposure and once again on or close to Day 5) are required to quarantine outside school but may remain in school under modified quarantine provided that masking and testing requirements are met.
 
The following close contacts are NOT required to quarantine and may remain in school: 

  • Asymptomatic students that are fully vaccinated (regardless of booster status)
  • Asymptomatic students who are recently recovered from laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days (please be prepared to show a positive test result)
  • Asymptomatic staff who are up to date* on all COVID-19 vaccines (Up to date on all COVID-19 vaccines: Boosted or fully vaccinated but not yet booster eligible)
 
ISOLATION/RETURN TO SCHOOL REMINDERS
 
Students who are in isolation due to a confirmed COVID-19 infection may return to school if:
 
  • At least 10 full days have passed since your symptoms first started, and
  • You have not had a fever for at least 24 hours, and
  • Your symptoms are improving.
 
OR “TEST OUT” option
  • At least 5 full days have passed since your symptoms first started, and
  • You have a negative viral COVID-19 test collected on Day 5 or later, and
  • You have not had a fever for at least 24 hours, and
  • Your symptoms are improving, and
  • You wear a well-fitting mask over your nose and mouth when you are around others, indoors and outdoors, for a total of 10 days.
 
Please check in with health office staff prior to starting school if you are “testing out” early. If using a home test to “test out", please be prepared to show an image of a home test as well as noting the day and time the test was taken.
 
Da Vinci updates on COVID-19 testing opportunities:
 
All Da Vinci students/staff can take a rapid COVID test at the Da Vinci Schools 201 N. Douglas Street, El Segundo campus (between 8:15 AM- 3:30 PM) or 12501 Isis Ave, Hawthorne location (between 8:45 AM- 2:45 PM). No appointment is needed. Students are not allowed to test during class hours and will be sent back to class. Students, please pre-register for testing here. Staff can register here. 
 
Da Vinci uses rapid tests for symptomatic students and close contacts to a school based case OR an exposure at home.
 
NEW! Da Vinci Schools is proud to offer on-site PCR testing for students and staff starting THIS WEDNESDAY! This does not replace our existing rapid testing program. 

  • First event: Wednesday 1/19/22, 2:30-4:30 PM, first-come first-served
  • Rest of semester: Weekly on Tuesdays 2:30-4:30 PM
  • Location: 201 N. Douglas Street, COVID tent in backyard by lunch area
  • Pre-​registration required: https://ihd-patient.preciseq.com/davinci-schools *Please note, insurance information is required, so we encourage students to register at home with access to their insurance card. 
  • What to bring: ID and unique QR code provided after registration (This code is to be used for the lifetime of the Testing Program. Please present this code to the technician prior to every test)
  • Testing is not required to attend school
  • Tests for coronavirus are currently covered by insurance with no out-of-pocket costs. Please check with your insurance company for further information. 
 
Please see the LACDPH flowcharts outlining the updated quarantine and isolation protocols visually.

For students quarantining, we do not offer virtual class options, but our teachers have created resource/activities for students who may be out for short periods of time. You can find these in Google classroom (Connect, DVC, DVD, DVS) and in DreamSeeDo (RISE). School site administrators can provide more information should you need, students are encouraged to reach out to their teachers. Please contact your office manager to notify us if your child is going to be absent from school as usual.