K-12 Indoor Classroom Close Contact Exception Rule
Good Morning Parents and Guardians,
There has been some confusion amongst our parents and student body regarding close contacts. There is a new close contact definition from the CDC and the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (our state medical doctors) that is called the "K-12 Indoor Classroom Exception for Close Contacts".
**This means if the student who was identified as covid positive while in class, and was wearing his/her mask, and those students sitting near the positive case were also properly masked, then the close contact students do not need to quarantine and can stay in school. Only the positive student would need to quarantine.
**If a student was identified as a close contact through a family member who tested positive, that student close contact will need to be quarantined at home.
I hope this clarifies the close contact definition. We are trying our very best to follow state and federal guidelines.
I understand masking is an issue for some, but the guidance is clear: Wear a mask, stay in school. Masking will help ensure that team competitions will continue, student travel will continue, and classroom instruction will be less likely to be interrupted for many staff and students.
At VHS we depend on layers of protection that include masking, increased ventilation, staying home if sick, and sanitizing. Your help and cooperation in keeping our school open and operating on all cylinders is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
