On January 11, the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees adopted a 5-day exclusion period for COVID-19 exposures, following guidance from state authorities and the Centers for Disease Control.
WCSD says based on this new five-day exclusion guidance, it will move to a self-screening model for all students and staff. This means that with the shortened exclusion timeframe, WCSD will no longer be making individual notifications to families regarding potential exposures.
Here are some important steps:
- Families are strongly encouraged to monitor students daily for any COVID-19 symptoms. If they develop any symptoms and/or test positive, keep them home and notify the school. If anyone at home has COVID-19, students must also stay home unless they are vaccinated and are symptom free. Continue using the Self-Screening Tool every day before students arrive at school.
- If your student tests positive, contact the school nurse to receive guidance on your student’s exclusion and return time. Students who test positive via school testing will continue to be contacted by the school nurse.
- Students with symptoms or who test positive will have to isolate for five days and can return to school after five days if symptoms are improving and they have not had fever, diarrhea, or vomiting for more than 24 hours without the use of medication.
- When someone at home has COVID-19, keep students home and notify the school for further guidance and return time. Unvaccinated students will stay home while the person with COVID-19 recovers and for 5 additional days when they may show signs of illness.
- Learn more about the community COVID-19 rates by visiting the Truckee Meadows COVID-19 risk meter or the Nevada COVID-19 School Dashboard.
- Visit this page for current testing locations and availability. Dates and locations are constantly changing and updating. As a reminder, today, January 17th is a federal holiday, and the testing site locations for symptomatic and excluded individuals at our schools will not be open. Additionally, the community site locations at parks will also be closed.
Community vaccination clinics continue to offer free COVID-19 vaccines for children 5 to 16. To find a place, visit https://link.spamstopshere.net/u/f485316a/7FEl97x37BGQb1MVh3soMg?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.immunizenevada.org%2Fcovid-19-vaccine-locator or by calling 1-800-401-0946 seven days a week between 7 a.m.to 8 p.m.
ORIGINAL STORY:
During the Washoe County School Districts Board of Trustees meeting on January 11, the board made a change on state guidance minimizing the 10-day exclusion period due to COVID to 5 days.
Beginning on January 12, individuals who have been excluded because they had symptoms, have tested positive for COVID, or have been excluded due to exposure, may return after 5 days, so long as they are symptom free or symptoms are improving with no fever, diarrhea or vomiting for 24 hours without medications.
Because of the timing of the board's decision, during this transitional time, the District will adhere to the following direction: If the individual’s first day of exclusion was January 7 or earlier, they may return on the 12 assuming they are symptom-free. If the individual’s first day was the 8 up to the 13 they may return on the 18th assuming they are symptom-free. January 17 is a holiday.
The board also decided to continue to adhere to Emergency Directive 48 which mandates that all school staff and students, from kindergarten through 12th grade, must wear face coverings while inside school buildings regardless of vaccination status which Governor Sisolak signed in early August, 2021.
Earlier today, the Clark County School District decided to shut down for five days starting on Friday, January 14 due to “extreme staffing shortages” caused by a surge in COVID-19 cases.
