Editor’s note: The following announcement from Westfield Washington Schools Superintendent Dr. Paul Kaiser was sent to The Reporter on Thursday afternoon.
Kaiser
In accordance with our current COVID-19 protocols announced on Nov. 8, since all but two schools (Monon Trail Elementary and Westfield Intermediate School) went above the 1.75 percent threshold of positive cases, starting Friday, Jan. 7, masks or face coverings will be mandatory at all Westfield Washington Schools buildings for all before, during and after school activities – including BAC, TOTS and All-Aboard. Masks will remain highly recommended for spectators of all sporting events.
We will remain in a district-wide mask mandate until all nine schools simultaneously have a positivity rate below 1 percent. Per federal mandate, masks will continue to be mandatory on school buses.
We will continue to conduct contact tracing and notifying families if their child has been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. In masked situations, close contacts do not have to quarantine as long as they do not show symptoms. In unmasked situations, like lunch, close contacts will need to quarantine, regardless of showing symptoms or not, unless they are fully vaccinated or have had COVID-19 in the past 90 days.
With this update in masking protocol, any student who needs to quarantine or isolate due to COVID-19 may return to school on Day 6, regardless of vaccination status.
Other mitigation measures – including regular sanitization, promoting handwashing, monitoring of symptoms, cohorting and distancing – will continue as well, when appropriate and available.
Thank you, again, for your continued support and flexibility as we continue to provide your children with a safe and educational environment. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Dr. Paul A. Kaiser
Superintendent of Schools