St. Peter School continually monitors the COVID-19 situation throughout our school and community. Processes are in place to track cases in which a student or adult in our school is impacted by the virus. We follow the latest guidance from the Adams County Health Department (ACHD) to determine which individuals need to be quarantined to protect those in the school setting.
To keep all informed, we are providing the current number of positive cases for students and staff in the SPS Weekly Update. In accordance with federal law, no information will be disclosed that could lead to the identification of any individual.
ACHD Quarantine Guidelines:
· Please note that the ACHD recommends a quarantine period of 14 days for individuals deemed to be a close contact of a positive COVID case.
· Any household contact must remain in quarantine for 14 days after the most recent (last) date of exposure. Household members cannot test out of quarantine or be released from quarantine until Day 15.
ACHD Quarantine Guideline Updates:
· Exposures occurring outside the household:
o With no COVID test and no symptoms reported during daily monitoring, quarantine can end after Day 10, return to school on Day 11. Daily monitoring must continue through Day 14.
o Staff Members Only can return to school on Day 8 IF a PCR test is completed on Day 7 of exposure and is Negative. The PCR test is available at Blessing Drive-Thru, QMG or Hy-Vee and can take 24-72 hours to result.
· An example would be: if a student/staff member receives a positive COVID test and attended school that day, students exposed and deemed to be in close contact with the positive would be quarantined by the ACHD. While in quarantine if the exposed student does not have symptoms within 10 days, then they could return to school on Day 11. *For staff members only: If the staff member does not have symptoms for 7 days and receives a negative COVID PCR test that was administered on Day 7, they could return to school on Day 8.
As always, we will contact a family individually when an exposure occurs to explain these guidelines as well as answer any questions regarding your individual situation. ACHD will also follow up with all close contacts. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the new guidelines, please contact the school and we will be happy to help you. Thanks for your patience as we adjust to the rapidly changing guidelines.
Students and Siblings with Suspected COVID-19 Symptoms:
If a student is sent home sick with suspected COVID 19 symptoms (cough, fever, diarrhea, shortness of breath, stomachache, vomiting, etc.) must all siblings/household members be sent home as well and quarantine for 14 calendar days?
Yes, if a household member is being evaluated for COVID-19, the rest of the household must be quarantined until an alternative diagnosis is made or a negative result is received. Medical evaluation and COVID 19 diagnostic testing are strongly recommended for all persons with COVID-like symptoms. If the sick student becomes a confirmed case or a probable case, the ACHD will conduct contact tracing and place household contacts in quarantine for 14 calendar days. The ACHD will provide guidance on how to safely quarantine and isolate within the household.
If testing in not performed due to the clinical judgment of the healthcare provider, a medical note is needed to return to school documenting that there is no clinical suspicion for COVID-19 infection and indicate an alternative diagnosis with the exclusion consistent with this diagnosis. Your child may then return to school on the day his/her doctor indicates on their medical note. Healthy siblings may then return to school.
Explanation of Terms:
Positive Case – A person who receives a lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 test result, or a physician’s diagnosis of COVID-19. A positive case includes both confirmed and probable cases.
Quarantined Suspected Case – A person who displays any of the common symptoms of COVID-19 but is waiting to be tested or to receive the results of a test already administered. These common symptoms include a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, unusual fatigue, muscle pain, coughing, sudden loss of taste or smell, difficulty breathing, prolonged headache, and sore throat, that do not appear to be caused by another illness.
Quarantined Close Contact – A person who is not ill but who has been exposed to a positive COVID-19 case in a manner that could make the person susceptible to contracting the virus. Examples include a person who:
o Lives with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
o Was face-to-face with a positive case, while wearing or not wearing a mask or face covering, fewer than 6 feet apart for 15 minutes or longer.
o Had direct physical contact with a positive case, such as sharing a drink.
o Was exposed to the bodily fluids of a person with COVID-19 (for example, touched a facial tissue used by an infected person).
PCR Test-A molecular diagnostic test for COVID-19 that detects the virus’s genetic material. Results are usually available in 24-72 hours.
Rapid Antigen Test-A diagnostic test for COVID-19 that detects specific proteins from the virus. Results are usually available within an hour.
Antibody Test-A test that looks for antibodies that are made by your immune system in response to a COVID-19 infection. At this time researchers do not know if the presence of antibodies means that you are immune to COVID-19 in the future. An antibody test is not accepted as proof of immunity and will not exclude an individual from further quarantines due to exposure to a positive COVID-19 case.
90 Day quarantine exemption-Any individual who has a lab confirmed positive test (PCR or Rapid) is exempt from quarantine due to exposure to a COVID-19 positive individual for 90 days from the date of the previous positive test.
We are committed to providing your child and our staff with a safe, healthy and caring environment. Thank you for your understanding and ongoing cooperation with our evolving COVID prevention policies and procedures. Thank you for your prayers for the health and well-being of the individual, the family, our school family and our community. For any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Cindy Venvertloh, principal, at 223-1120.
Resource Section:
Adams County Health Department
330 Vermont St
Quincy, IL 62301
Telephone:217-222-8440
Emergency After-Hours Reporting:217-214-4000
Quincy Medical Group
1025 Maine Street
Quincy, IL 62301
COVID-19 Hotline: 217-277-4001
Blessing Hospital
11th & Broadway
Quincy, IL 62301
COVID-19 Hotline: 217-277-3504
Additional helpful educational links:
https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-coronavirus
https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/patients/coronavirus-information/videos-for-kids-parents
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/coronavirus-how-talk-child.html
https://www.fda.gov/media/140161/download
All information outlined above is interim and subject to change.
Last update: 01/01/2021