Admin

Quarantine Procedure Update 1/19/21
Published on Jan 19, 2021 16:47

January 19, 2021 

Dear Millis Public School Families and Staff, 

In December the MA Department of Public Health (DPH) shortened their quarantine guidelines for close contacts from a 10-day quarantine with testing on Day 8, to testing on Day 5 with a 7-day quarantine

Since this change we have learned that individuals in other school districts, who were initially identified as close contacts and completed their 7 day quarantine, then returned to school/work on Day 8, have subsequently developed symptoms and then tested positive.  It has been reported that these individuals typically developed their symptoms between Day 8 and Day 11; but as a result of the change in quarantine guidance, were back at school and in close contact with other students and staff while contagious. Although the state has shortened the quarantine time based on the evidence that the majority of individuals who are close contacts will test positive by day 5, it is important to remember that once exposed to the virus an individual can develop symptoms up until day 14. 

Currently our community is experiencing an increase in the number of positive COVID cases and the Millis Board of Health is recommending that they revert back to the previous quarantine guidance issued by the MA DPH when working with the Millis Public Schools community.  It is believed that with the extra days of quarantine we can avoid an increase in the number of potential close contacts and the number of positive cases in our community.  As a result, beginning January 19, 2021 the following quarantine guidelines will be used for all students and staff in the Millis Public Schools: 

 All individuals who are identified as close contacts must either:

  1. Quarantine for at least 14 days from the date of the last exposure or; or 

  2. Quarantine at least 10 days, provided all of the following are satisfied: 

  • The individual has not had any symptoms; 

  • The individual has been tested on day 8 of their quarantine or later using a molecular diagnostic test (also known as a PCR) to detect the presence of the virus: 

  • The individual has received confirmation of a negative test result; and 

  • The individual continues to monitor for symptoms for the full fourteen days. If the individual develops symptoms they must quarantine again and be re-tested for the COVID virus. 

Thank you very much for your continued support of our efforts to minimize the spread of the virus and to remain in our hybrid model of education. 


Sincerely, 

Bob Mullaney,
Superintendent

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