MBCA October update

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UPDATED VERSION OCTOBER 1, 2020

MT. BETHEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Be Love(d). Belong. Become.

PLANS FOR THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR

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Updated Protocols Positive Test in the Household One thing COVID-19 has shown us is that there are many different policies and procedures based on very individual circumstances, and things change often! Therefore, we have outlined some of the recent updates from the CDC and Department of Health below in terms of testing and quarantine practices. However, each individual case of exposure is different and has individual circumstances, so please email our nurses at nurse@mtbethelchristian.org and your Division Head (Kelly - LS, Shaver - MS, Montague - US) if you, your child, or anyone in your household has tested positive for COVID-19.

What should I do if my child or a member of my household tests positive for COVID19?

Please email the nurse at nurse@mtbethelchristian.org with information regarding who is positive and when the test was administered. Scan and email a copy of the test results. Our nurses, in conjunction with the Department of Health, will alert only those who may be affected to quarantine, while maintaining privacy and confidentiality required by HIPPA laws.

Please email the appropriate Division Head (Kelly - LS, Shaver - MS, Montague - US) that there has been a positive test result at your home and your student needs to enter the ALP (Adaptive Learning Plan). We may need a day to get everything set up depending on when we are notified, so please be patient and understand there may be a short delay.

If it's the student (or staff member) who tests positive and is ASYMPTOMATIC at the time of the test, he/she must remain home for 10 days with day one beginning the day of the positive test result. Additionally, he/she must be fever free for 48 hours without the use of feverreducing medication before returning to school.

If it's the student (or staff member) who tests positive and is SYMPTOMATIC, he/she must remain home for 10 days with day one beginning the first day of symptoms. Additionally, he/she must be fever free for 48 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication before returning to school.

Family members living in the same household with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 must quarantine for 14 days, beginning from the date of the most recent contact, regardless of whether they are symptomatic or test negative at any point during the quarantine period. To help reduce the number of days your student must miss, please isolate the person suspected or tested positive as soon as possible, so the date of most recent contact is as early as possible.

If you don't have a confirmed positive case in the household, but someone in the family has been deemed a close contact to a person who has tested positive, only the person directly exposed must quarantine. If you think of it as a family tree...you have the positive person, then the "exposed" person (first cousin), and then the second cousins (the rest of the family).

So, if "Abby" is exposed to a friend in ballet class who tests positive, Abby has to stay home for 14 days, as she would be considered a first cousin since she had direct exposure and was defined as a close contact. Abby's brother, "Benjamin", does not have to quarantine since he was not directly around the positive person in ballet class and would be classified as a second cousin.

Mt. Bethel Christian Academy Plans for the 2020-21 School Year Page 2 - Version 10/1/20

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Updated Protocols Exposure to a Positive Person Each individual case of exposure is different and has individual circumstances, so please email our nurses at nurse@mtbethelchristian.org and your Division Head (Kelly - LS, Shaver - MS, Montague - US) if you, your child, or anyone in your household has been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. We will consult the guidelines and let you know as soon as possible what actions, if any, need to be taken.

What if my child was exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19?

Please email the appropriate parties with all information you have, including: when the last exposure was, how long your child was exposed to the positive person and under what circumstances, and if you have been notified by the DPH to quarantine. The more information we have, the better we can determine the appropriate protocol!

If it is determined that your student needs to enter the ALP (Adaptive Learning Plan), the Division Head will confirm that with you and with the teachers. We may need a day to get everything set up depending on when we are notified, so please be patient and understand there may be a short delay.

Under the Governor's Executive Order, it is required that anyone defined as a close contact to the positive person (within 6 feet for longer than 15 minutes, with or without a face covering) MUST quarantine for 14 days, beginning on the day of the last contact. It does not matter if your child is asymptomatic or tests negative for COVID within that 14 day window.

We hope the executive order will be revised at some point now that better, more accurate testing is available!

If you want to test your student for COVID after being notified he/she must quarantine, you should wait at least 7 days for the most accurate result. If your child tests positive at that time, his/her quarantine period starts over for 10 days (see pg. 2). If your child tests negative, he/she must complete the remainder of the 14 day quarantine.

If someone in your family has been deemed a close contact to a person who has tested positive, only the person directly exposed must quarantine. If you think of it as a family tree...you have the positive person, then the "exposed" person (first cousin), and then the second cousins (the rest of the family). So, if "Abby" is exposed to a friend in ballet class who tests positive, Abby has to stay home for 14 days, as she would be considered a first cousin since she had direct exposure and was defined as a close contact. Abby's brother, "Benjamin", does not have to quarantine since he was not directly around the positive person in ballet class and would be classified as a second cousin.

Mt. Bethel Christian Academy Plans for the 2020-21 School Year Page 3- Version 10/1/20

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Situational Q&A Sometimes it's helpful to have scenarios written out to help you determine the course of action, so we have provided some situational Q&As below. That said, if you have any reason to suspect COVID-19, please continue to act out of an abundance of caution and follow the protocols listed on the previous two pages. Our community has been extremely lucky in containing the virus to this point, and that is due to the diligence and extra precautions you have taken as parents and members of our MBCA family!

What if my child has a fever of 100.4 or more or is showing other COVID-related symptoms like shortness of breath or loss of taste/smell?

Please consult your physician. If the symptoms are attributed to something like strep throat or an ear infection, and the child is prescribed antibiotics, the child may return to school when he/she is feeling better and has been fever free for at least 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medication. Please have a note from the doctor that confirms the child is safe to attend school and scan/submit it to nurse@mtbethelchristian.org. If the doctor cannot confirm there is a non-COVID related reason for the fever, or you don't want to go to the doctor or get a COVID test, you have two choices. The child can either voluntarily quarantine for 14 days or take a COVID test after 7 days, and assuming it's negative, return to school.

What if my child has other symptoms not related to COVID (stomach issues, sore throat, congestion)?

We know students will get illnesses unrelated to COVID, so please consult with your physician to confirm that the symptoms you're seeing aren't COVID related, and your student may return when he/she feels better. We urge you to continue to err on the side of caution, as it's keeping us all healthy and in-person!

If I know my child has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID, do I have to get him/her tested?

If you know your child has been a close contact to someone positive, he/she must quarantine for 14 days, regardless of whether or not they feel sick or get a test. So, it's really up to you about whether you choose to have them tested, as getting a negative test result will not shorten the quarantine period under the current executive order. If you do want to test your child, please wait at least 7 days from the exposure to the positive person to get accurate results, and if your child is positive, the child will have 10 days of additional quarantine from the date of the test.

I've heard that the gaiter-style face covering is not effective. Should my child not use one?

The CDC has definitively determined that the face masks with vents are not acceptable, and we do not allow those to be worn as face coverings on campus. They have also recently stated that they are evaluating the effectiveness of the gaiter-style face coverings. They have not deemed them unacceptable at this time, so they are still allowed on campus, but please consult your physician or the CDC's website for more information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-facecoverings.html How much longer will MBCA require mandatory face coverings in school?

We look forward in 4-6 week increments, and at present, we will be wearing them through at least the end of October. We've seen what has happened in other schools where face coverings are not mandatory, and based on our own data from within this community, it's evident that they are helping keep our students and faculty safe. There are arguments on both sides of the mask issue, and we appreciate that. However, based on the current recommendations and our own experience, we will continue to mandate face coverings for now. Our Healthcare Task Force meets weekly, and as we evaluate the numbers in Cobb County, especially once public school students begin to return to school next week, we will monitor the situation and act accordingly. Thank you for your support, even if you don't quite agree. The health and safety of our families and staff comes first!

Mt. Bethel Christian Academy Plans for the 2020-21 School Year Page 4- Version 10/1/20