COVID-19 Policies

Masking

 

In general, masks will be optional at Levey; we will support individual family decisions about whether or not to mask in school and will strive to help all students feel comfortable with their decisions. Students who have tested positive will be required to mask following their return to school (see below).

 

Levey will follow US CDC guidelines and require indoor masks if Cumberland County’s community level reaches the high risk (red) threshold. Levey will also require indoor masks if we determine that case levels within a classroom or within the school as a whole are high enough that we are considered in outbreak status (15% of students and staff are out sick with COVID-19 within a 14-day window). 

 

The only acceptable masks will be high quality surgical or KN95/N95 masks; cloth masks will not be acceptable. Students should maintain a supply of masks in their backpacks.

 

Antigen Tests

 

Parents should maintain a supply of antigen tests (also known as rapid tests) at home in order to respond to symptoms of illness and to close contacts. Free tests may be ordered from Project Act. Commercial health insurance plans are required to cover eight rapid tests per enrolled household member per month that are purchased at retail pharmacies; depending on the plan, you may not have any out of pocket expenses or you may need to seek reimbursement following purchase. 

 

Protocol for positive cases

 

Families must notify the Levey administration immediately if a student tests positive.

 

A student who tests positive for COVID-19 must remain out of school until at least the sixth day after either the beginning of symptoms or the date a positive test was administered, whichever came first. They may return on the sixth day as long as they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and their other symptoms have improved (no persistent cough or nasal congestion and no fatigue - loss of taste or smell may persist for weeks). If symptoms have not improved by then, the student must remain at home until symptoms have improved as above.

 

Additionally, students who test positive must mask indoors at school either through the end of the tenth day or until they have received two negative antigen test results spaced 48 hours apart. The first antigen test may be administered no earlier than the day the student returns to school.

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Reminder: when counting days, Day 0 is the day of a positive test or the beginning of symptoms, whichever is earlier; Day 1 is the next day. For example, if a student develops symptoms of COVID-19 on a Tuesday (Day 0) and tests positive on Wednesday (Day 1), the earliest they would be able to return to school is Monday (Day 6). The student would be required to wear a mask at school through the end of the week (Day 10 is Friday) or until they have received  two negative antigen test results spaced 48 hours apart (i.e, negative test results on Day 6 and Day 8). 

 

Symptoms of Illness

 

We ask that parents err on the side of caution when making a decision about keeping a child home. Parents must keep children home who display any of one of the following symptoms:

 

● Fever of 100.4 or higher

● New loss of taste or smell 

● Severe cough 

● Sore throat 

● Shortness of breath 

● Difficulty breathing 

● Vomiting, diarrhea 

● Severe fatigue or body aches

 

Please administer an antigen test your child that day and the next two days. Students must be fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and have received at least two negative tests before they may return to school. 

 

If your child has mild symptoms (such as runny nose, mild headache), they may attend school, but please administer an antigen test to your child before sending them to school and continue testing for at least three consecutive mornings total.

 

If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19 at school, the school office will administer an antigen test prior to calling home to request pick-up. If they test negative at school, they must be tested again each of the next two days.

 

More detailed guidelines about illness, COVID-19 and otherwise, can be found in the Family Handbook.

 

Close Contact at School

 

Levey will notify families if there is a positive case in their child’s classroom or if they have had a significant exposure (i.e., in aftercare or with their buddy) within the previous 48 hours. Where possible, Levey will administer antigen tests to the close contacts at school. Parents should administer antigen tests the day they are notified (unless an antigen test has been administered at school), on Day 3, and on Day 5. If the student tests positive, the guidelines above should be followed.

 

Close Contact at Home

 

Families must notify the Levey administration immediately if a household member tests positive. Students may continue to attend school but should administer an antigen test on Day 0 (the day the household member tests positive), Day 3, and Day 5. If additional household members test positive, students should continue to test regularly. If the student tests positive, the guidelines above should be followed.

 

Vaccination

 

Levey strongly encourages families to make sure that students are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccination.