Dear East Hartford Community,
I hope you’re enjoying the summer!
As we prepare for the new school year, we want to share the latest guidance on COVID-19 prevention strategies in our schools.
This month, the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the State Department of Education, and the Office of Early Childhood released new school guidance entitled “Launching into Healthy Learning” for the 2022-2023 school year. This guidance, which you can read in full here, is designed to keep students healthy and learning in person as much as possible throughout the school year.
One new strategy outlined in the guidance is Test-Mask-Go. This will allow children and staff with mild respiratory symptoms (infrequent cough, congestion, runny nose, sore throat, etc.) the option to continue going to school in-person if:
- they are fever-free (below 100°F) and feel well enough to participate,
- they do not live with anyone who has had COVID-19 in the past 2 weeks,
- they can wear a mask consistently and correctly, and
- they test negative for COVID-19 prior to reporting in-person on every day they have symptoms, as well as one final test on the morning their symptoms have completely resolved.
Children/Staff who have any respiratory disease symptoms should not use the Test-Mask-Go strategy if:
- they have a fever (above 100°F) or feel feverish (they should not report in-person until their fever has resolved for at least 24 hours without the use of medication)
- they live with a person who recently tested positive for COVID-19 (within the past 2 weeks)
Instead, these individuals should stay home until their symptoms resolve and test for COVID-19.
Our schools will continue to make COVID-19 self-test kits available for families to take home. Families can also order free self-test kits by visiting covid.gov/tests.
The guidance also reiterates that vaccinations are the first and most important line of defense in preventing disease. Everyone 6 months of age or older can receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Many school aged children are also eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose. We encourage you to talk with your health care provider about ensuring your child is up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations prior to the start of the school year.
As always, we appreciate your support as a we work to keep our children, faculty and community safe!
Nathan Quesnel, Ed.D.
Superintendent
East Hartford Public Schools