Chamois R-1 Superintendent said Monday that following Thursday’s new guidance from Gov. Mike Parson, the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the district is taking steps to implement the new quarantine rules.
“We already have the mask requirement in place for students in junior high and high school and that will not change,” said Best. “Elementary students have the option to wear a mask but it is not required. We still have other details to work out and a few unanswered questions to address before we fully implement the change.”
Students in grades 7-12 who are within six feet of one another will have to wear a mask but under modifications to Missouri’s K-12 school reopening and operating guidance stipulate that proper mask-wearing may now prevent individuals from being identified as close contacts in K-12 schools that have implemented a mask mandate.
This means that if both individuals at school – the person diagnosed with COVID-19 and the person exposed to the positive case – have masks on and are wearing them correctly, the individual exposed does not need to quarantine.
Best said that because most have acquired COVID outside of school, there won’t be much change. “Very few cases are coming from the classroom,” he added, noting that had this option been available before now, only eight to 10 students might have avoided quarantine.
Osage County Health Department Nurse Kim Sallin agrees with that assessment though she does not agree with the new guidance.
“Yes, most of our cases involve family members who test positive and then transmit it in the household, and we have seen transmissions during weddings, funerals, and parties, but I don’t agree with the change in quarantine rules because it’s doesn’t meet CDC requirements,” said Sallin. “However, I want kids in school and I want what’s best for them.”
Sallin has a requirement for schools that choose to follow these modified guidelines.
“My caveat is that schools use surgical masks instead of cloth,” she said. “Surgical masks provide some protection to both the person wearing it and anyone around them.”
A cloth mask protects others from particles that might be expelled by the wearer, but the mask does not do much to protect the wearer from incoming particulates.
“Cloth masks provide significantly less protection than surgical masks,” Sallin said. “Another benefit is that surgical masks will dry and aren’t as likely to retain dirt. Cloth masks get wet and with winter weather coming, I think it’s going to be more difficult to keep them clean.”
As of Monday, Best said the district has approximately 3,800 surgical masks in stock, which will cover the school for 45-50 days. Each student will receive a mask during first hour.
During his announcement Thursday, Parson said he understands that a large number of students and school staff members quarantined in recent weeks has presented a significant strain for educators, school leaders, and Missouri families alike.
“We know that COVID-19 is not going away soon, so it is important that we continue to evaluate the guidance we’re issuing at the state level to make sure our procedures are sustainable for the next several months,” Parson said. “We have been working hard with DESE and DHSS to find a solution that allows us to continue providing the high-quality education our students deserve while still keeping them, our teachers, and all school staff members safe.”
Exposed individuals should self-monitor for symptoms and stay home at the first sign of illness. They should also continue to wear a mask at all times to further reduce the likelihood of transmitting the virus. The person who tests positive for COVID-19 is still required to isolate at home.
Close contacts in K-12 schools should continue to quarantine at home for 14 days if their school does not require students and staff to wear masks, or the mask was not being worn appropriately by either the person diagnosed with COVID-19 or the person who was exposed.
“Schools that are consistently implementing COVID-19 mitigation strategies remain among the safest places for our students,” Parson said. “We believe this change will lead to more schools encouraging proper mask usage, helping to further protect students and educators from the spread of the virus.”
At Thursday’s briefing in the State Capitol, Gov. Parson was joined by Dr. Rachel Orscheln, Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Washington University and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Dr. Orscheln has worked closely with DHSS and DESE throughout the pandemic, providing expertise to ongoing conversations related to K-12 school reopening and operating guidance.
“Given the high rates of COVID-19 in our communities, it is inevitable that some children and adolescents will test positive,” Dr. Orscheln said. “We also know that some of these children will likely, at some point in their illness, be at school. However, we have learned that in schools where students and staff are always wearing masks and practicing physical distancing, this virus does not spread as easily as it does in other places where these strategies are not always used.”
DESE Commissioner Margie Vandeven also agrees with the changes.
“As COVID cases increase across the state, we understand that the virus is not going away quickly. Rigorous mitigation strategies and reasonable quarantine protocols will help provide our students onsite learning opportunities more consistently,” Vandeven said. “Our teachers and school leaders have worked tirelessly to meet the needs of our students throughout the first quarter, but the current structure is not sustainable long-term. Students and their families struggle to keep up with coursework in a distanced model of instruction when students are temporarily quarantined, and many districts have been forced to suspend in-person learning opportunities after large numbers of school staff members were directed to quarantine.”
In addition to mask-wearing, adequate social distancing and proper hand hygiene continue to be important in combatting the spread of COVID-19.
“Schools and local health officials are encouraged to monitor health data in their schools and alert DESE and DHSS at the first sign there may be a rise in cases due to transmission in schools,” Vandeven said. “We want to be sure we’re working with state health leaders to monitor this change in guidance and make any adjustments necessary to keep students and school personnel safe as we move forward.”
Sallin said the biggest challenge will be enforcing the use of masks and other measures. “A lot of classes are not consistently enforcing assigned seating, which has resulted in the quarantine of entire classes,” she said.
A Zoom meeting has been scheduled for today (Wednesday) with school officials to discuss options but Sallin made it clear this is something that could change.
“I want teachers to provide feedback because they’re the ones who will have to enforce the use of masks,” she said. “If we see this approach is failing, we can go back to full quarantine.”
Linn R-2 and Fatima R-3 have not yet taken a position on the new quarantine rules. Both boards will discuss the issue this week and a report of their action will be presented next week.