All positive tests of COVID-19, known exposures to staff or students, or presentation of symptoms consistent with COVID-19
(PA DOE) must be reported to the school nurse, Meghan Olson. Any positive cases or exposures will be shared with the Allegheny County Health Department. The ACHD will guide through contact tracing to determine any SEA community members who were in close contact with the infected person.
Close contact is defined as either being within approximately 6 feet of a COVID-19 case for 15 or more minutes, or having direct contact with infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case (e.g., being coughed on). (PA Department of Health) Close contacts in the school setting can include any individuals that have spent substantial time indoors together and will be determined by the ACHD.
(PA DOE) Community members diagnosed with COVID-19 are expected to stay home a minimum of 10 days; they must be fever free for 24-hours without fever-reducing medication and with respiratory symptoms improving before returning to school. Community members deemed a close contact will need to remain in quarantine 10 days after last day of exposure. If a family member is positive, anyone in the same household will remain home and begin quarantine on day 10 of the isolation.
With the creation of zones, it is unlikely that a diagnosis would require a full-school or zone closure. It is possible that a cohort or class may need to temporarily transition to remote learning for deep cleaning and time for additional testing. In the event a cohort or class requires a 10-day quarantine, the entire group will transition to SEA@Home for that time. Families will be notified via email and our emergency contact system in SEAPort.
Please note: In keeping with HIPAA health privacy laws and FERPA educational privacy laws, the names of those who test positive or are exposed to COVID-19 must be kept confidential. Members of the community determined to have been in close contact with an infected individual will be notified immediately as guided by the ACHD. Once close contacts have been notified, a community announcement will be made acknowledging the presence of cases in our immediate community. Committed to the respect and feelings of others, the school will considerately support any infected or exposed individuals with kindness.