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Wednesday, February 9, 2022
OMICRON UPENDS COVID-19 PROTOCOLS Riya Kommineni, Anisa Walji
T
he omicron variant of COVID-19 unleashed a surge in positive cases on the Greenhill campus in January, prompting changes to safety protocols. Masks are required again in all indoor spaces, and lunch tables are limited to four students. Greenhill also released new contact tracing rules. These guidelines include shifting from the five-day isolation period recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to a seven-day isolation period if a student tests positive. The revised guidelines allowed vaccinated students not exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms to return from a contact-tracing quarantine after a negative test at least five days after exposure. Overall, the school is proceeding on a caseby-case basis. The contact tracing team members, drawn from the administration and nurse’s office, created these guidelines to maximize safety for students and families. The team frequently consults with Dallas County Health and Human Services and the school’s Medical Advisory Committee, which is made up of medical professionals in the fields of infectious disease, pulmonary care and pediatrics. “Due to the highly contagious nature of this variant, [the] risk of exposure is so high and generalized,” Associate Head of School, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer Kendra Grace said. “You’re going to be exposed to the virus at some point. What we’ve done is narrowed our contact tracing efforts to really focus on high-risk, frequent-contact groups.” So what happens when you test positive for COVID-19 or come into close contact with someone who tests positive?
You have been exposed to COVID-19… Are you vaccinated?
Yes
“Vaccinated students who are close contacts and are not showing symptoms may remain at school and take a PCR test on Day 5 after exposure.”
If you feel uncomfortable coming to school...
No
Take your PCR test five days after exposure. Did you test positive?
You can contact the school, but online learning is only an option if the school has directed you to stay at home after exposure or a positive test.
“Unvaccinated students will be required to quarantine at home, returning on Day 6 after receiving a negative PCR test if they remain symptom-free.” While quarantining, these students must learn remotely.
No If you test negative and are symptom-free, you may return to school on Day 6.
No “Students [...] may
return to school on Day 8.”
Take your antigen test five days after testing positive. Did you test positive?
Yes
You must isolate for seven days and should notify the school. You must learn remotely if you are well enough during that time. “Student and employees may return to school on Day 8 if they have a negative antigen test on Day 5 or later (or they may return on Day 10 with no test required).”
Has someone you live with tested positive?
Yes “Quarantine timeframes will continue to be handled by the nurses’ office on a caseby-case basis. Please contact greenhill_ nurse@greenhill.org if someone in your household tests positive and wait to talk with a nurse before sending your child to school.” You must learn remotely if you are well enough and not attending school.
Yes If you tested positive, do not wish to take another test, or are not able to get a test, you must stay home for ten days and can return on Day 11.
Stay safe and mask up, Hornets!
Note: The day of exposure is day 0. SchoolPass completion is required every school day, even if a student is not attending school that day. This graphic only applies to students. All quotes are from Head of School Lee Hark’s email from Jan. 11, 2022. For up-to-date guidance about COVID-19, please contact Nurse Trimmer (trimmerk@greenhill.org) or consult the CDC website.
Graphic by Khushi Chhaya and Emma Nguyen