Dear JKHA/RKYHS Families,
The guiding philosophy of JKHA/RKYHS’ Covid policies is to maintain quality, in-person learning and avoid quarantine by implementing test to stay protocol. Thankfully, as the Omicron wave subsides and case numbers decrease, we can now focus more on managing the virus than mitigating it.
Suspicious Pool:
Towards that end, we will no longer require PCR tests for students included in a suspicious pool. Instead, students included in a suspicious pool will be required to take a rapid antigen test at home in order to return to school the following day. There is no need to sequester or quarantine. Students who return to school after testing negative on an antigen rapid test will continue to be screened in school.
Students who are symptomatic should not return to school until they are symptom-free, even with a negative antigen test.
Household Positive (policy change):
If a family member is positive, siblings and children of the index case may attend school by taking a rapid antigen test every day prior to arriving at school. Please inform us of a positive household member in a student’s home so that we can screen students who are exposed to household positive cases.
Screening Schedule:
Additionally, in the coming weeks, we expect to decrease the frequency of surveillance screening.
This new policy takes effect immediately.
Index Case Protocols are still in effect:
- A Covid-19 positive case (called the “index case”) may return to school after five days from the date of the original positive test once he/she tests negative on a home rapid antigen test and is not symptomatic. A recovered Covid-19 individual who tests negative on a rapid antigen test may return to school on day six. Please send a photo of the negative rapid test to results@jkha.org. (Please do not test using a PCR rapid to detect the virus after the five days of quarantine. The PCR is more sensitive and may be positive even if the index case is no longer contagious). The five-day count begins after the day the original positive test was taken. The day of the positive test is day zero, followed by five days at home.
- The index case may return on the 6th day provided that the rapid antigen test is negative.
- Within 30 days after the initial positive test, a recovered index case should not quarantine even if there is a household exposure.
We are hopeful that we are appropriately balancing the public health welfare while we focus on the social, emotional and learning needs of our students.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.
Sincerely,
Eliezer E. Rubin
