Health Notices and News

BPS Health and Safety Bulletin #4

12/1/2020 9:53:00 AM Views (806) Return

Belmont Public Schools

Travel, Testing and Absence 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of our students and to provide a safe environment for everyone in our schools.

Holiday Travel, large gatherings, and return to school

Student Daily Symptom Checker

Symptom Check Follow up Absence Form

As we look beyond the Thanksgiving holiday and break and get ready to prepare for our return to hybrid learning, it is important to follow state and CDC guidelines regarding social distancing and limitations on gatherings. We also remind all members of the BPS community that students and staff must get a COVID-19 PCR test if they have traveled to areas affected by the Massachusetts Travel Ban. All states, with the exception of Hawaii, are now considered high-risk areas.

If you have recently traveled and have not yet had a PCR test done, we urge you to have it done as soon as possible. Use this week of remote learning to prepare for a hybrid return on December 7th.

Please submit all PCR test results to your school nurse as soon as you receive them, ideally no later than the end of the school day on Thursday, December 3rd. We will be processing results during school hours only.

If you participated in large gatherings or are experiencing symptoms of illness, we urge you to get a PCR test.

STEPS TO RETURN TO SCHOOL FOLLOWING OUT OF STATE TRAVEL

Fill out the Massachusetts Travel Form
Produce a negative PCR COVID test result per Quarantine and travel test requirements. Proof of a negative test result for COVID-19 from a test administered on a sample taken no longer than 72 hours before your arrival in Massachusetts.
Quarantine until you can produce a negative PCR test
Forward the test results to your school nurse

Stop the Spread Provides FREE COVID testing

Plan ahead as many people will be looking for testing to be done.

While you wait for your Covid-19 test results

At this time, the only state that is not considered high risk is Hawaii. Maine and New Hampshire became high risk effective 12:01 a.m. on November 21st. Vermont became high risk at 12:01 a.m. on November 28th. For more information, please visit Covid-19 Travel Order - Lower Risk States

High/Low Risk States

STEPS TO REPORT AN ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL

Review The Daily Symptom checker

IF No to all symptoms and questions => come to school

IF Yes

Fill out the school absence form. The school nurse must be the first to receive information about an absence in order to allow for the proper medical guidance to be given. The nurses are responding to calls and emails and taking care of their children on a daily basis. This has been an extremely busy time and appreciate it greatly when you follow the process.
Call the school absence line - an email to a teacher will not suffice.

If an absence is due to travel
- Plan ahead and allow for enough time to test
- Expect a backlog at test sites

If COVID testing is needed, a PCR test must be done. Forward PCR results to your school nurse. Students and staff must be cleared by the school nurse before returning to any in-person school activities.

As always, if you have any questions, please contact your school nurse.

Be Well!

-The Belmont Public Schools Nurses

Visit our COVID site often

BPS Nursing Health and Safety

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