by Larry Chowning –
Middlesex County Public Schools (MCPS) started on Feb. 7 with the “Test to Stay” (TTS) policy program in an effort to keep students in school.
TTS is a practice that allows close contacts of individuals with COVID-19 to remain in the classroom instead of quarantining at home. It requires close contacts to take a COVID-19 test every morning before school or the evening prior after 7 p.m., for five days after exposure. If the test is negative, they are allowed to attend school.
The results must be reported to the school daily. Students must also wear a mask while in school and remain without symptoms for 10 days after the exposure. Test kits are provided free of charge and will be provided by the school as long as supplies are available.
The new policy is coming on the heels of reductions in COVID-19 cases in the schools.
MCPS School Superintendent Dr. Tracy Seitz reported that there were two “individuals” reporting positive COVID-19 from Feb. 7-11 and 17 who had close contact at school or on school buses.
“Beginning immediately, we will move to observe the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) guidelines for isolating and quarantining for students,” said Dr. Seitz. “The only exception will be the requirement of a negative test to return for those quarantining because of close contact.”
Those guidelines include:
- Positive COVID-19 – Students may return on day six if asymptomatic or symptoms are improving and student is fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. Strict mask use is required for days six through 10. (The first day of symptoms or positive test, whichever is first is day zero.)
- Close contact – Students may return on day six if they have a negative test on day five (students who do not test may return to school on day 11), are symptom free and follow strict mask use on days six through 10.
- Household close contacts — If a positive household member is not able to isolate away from other household members, the student must quarantine for 10 days that the household member is positive and then quarantine an additional five days.
Students may return on day 16 if they: - Have a negative test on day 15.
- Are symptom free.
- Practice strict mask use on days 16 through 20.
“If your child is currently out due to isolation or quarantine, please contact your child’s school nurse to determine if your child is eligible to return to school earlier than previously planned,” she said.
Virginia School Screening Testing for Assurance (ViSSTA) testing, which is the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19 provided by an outside vendor, began on Thursday, February 10. Anyone who has submitted his or her consent form and registered online with the vendor, MAKO, will be tested.
“We expect results will be available within 24 hours. Testing will take place at each of our schools,” said Dr. Seitz. “Lastly, I will no longer be sending a weekly email with COVID-19 positive and quarantine numbers. Instead, this information will be posted on the MCPS website for everyone to access. The data will be updated each Friday evening.”
Seitz continued, “Thank you to our staff who continue to work tirelessly to educate, transport and feed our children and to our families for placing your trust in us to provide a safe and engaging learning environment.
“When we began this school year we all believed the experience was going to be much better than last year and it has been because we have our students back in the building full time! We’ve also faced some obstacles and challenges and have learned to be even more flexible. I am grateful for the dedication of our faculty, staff and administrators and for our partnerships with our families and community,” said Seitz.
