Dear Huntley 158 Parents & Families,
Today, January 10, Huntley 158 will adopt the new guidelines from the CDC, IDPH, and ISBE which reduce the periods of quarantine and isolation to 5 days for students and staff. After conversations with our local health officials, we are prepared to implement these guidelines immediately. Our response to this virus continues to evolve based upon the most up to date information and resources available to us from leading health experts. Though we know that continued flexibility will be necessary, we are encouraged by this step forward and are hopeful that these updated practices will ease the burden on our families and staff. Please take a moment to review a summary of the CDC guidelines that will now be implemented for students and staff in our schools:
NEW Guidelines: Periods of Isolation & Quarantine
ISOLATION: If you have a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 or are showing symptoms of COVID-19.
| Everyone, regardless of vaccination status: Stay home for at least 5 days. Day 0 is the first day of symptoms or date of a positive viral test (if asymptomatic). If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days, you can return to school. If you have symptoms, an individual must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and their other symptoms have improved before returning to school (this may not include slight congestion, slight cough, or loss of taste or smell. If you are unsure of persisting symptoms, please reach out to your school nurse). If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves. Continue to wear a well-fitted mask that fully covers your nose and mouth around others for 5 additional days. |
QUARANTINE: If you have been exposed to a positive case of COVID-19 (deemed a close contact).
| Who does NOT need to quarantine? Ages 18 & older who have received a primary vaccination series (Pfizer, Moderna or J&J), AND a booster dose once eligible and additional primary shots for immunocompromised people. Ages 5-17 who have received a primary vaccination series (Pfizer, Moderna, or J&J). Anyone with a confirmed positive COVID-19 test within the last 90 days (using a viral test). | No quarantine necessary Wear a mask around others for 10 days.Test on day 5, if possible. If a person develops symptoms at any time, get a test and stay home until they receive a negative COVID-19 test. |
| Who needs to quarantine? Ages 18 & older who have received the primary vaccination series, but have NOT received a booster shot when eligible. Ages 18 & older who have received the full series of a Moderna OR Pfizer vaccine over 5 months ago and have NOT received a booster shot. Ages 18 & older who have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine over 2 months ago and have NOT received a booster shot. Anyone who has NOT received a primary vaccination series (i.e. unvaccinated). | Stay home for 5 days. After that continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.Test on day 5, if possible. If a person develops symptoms at any time, get a test and stay home until they receive a negative COVID-19 test. |
Return to School Timeline for Students or Staff in Quarantine/Isolation
Staff and students who are currently impacted by a quarantine now have a revised return to school date. Please see the chart below to know when you are able to come back to school.
Please note, if you have symptoms, an individual must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and their other symptoms must improve before returning to school. If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves.
| If a student or staff member tested positive or first had symptoms on the following date: | The new return to school/work date is the following: |
| Monday, 1/3 | Tuesday, 1/11 |
| Tuesday, 1/4 | Tuesday, 1/11 |
| Wednesday, 1/5 | Tuesday, 1/11 |
| Thursday, 1/6 | Wednesday, 1/12 |
| Friday, 1/7 | Thursday, 1/13 |
| Saturday, 1/8 | Friday, 1/14 |
| Sunday, 1/9 | Tuesday, 1/18 (No school on 1/17) |
| Monday, 1/10 | Tuesday, 1/18 (No school on 1/17) |
| *Any date prior to 1/3/2022 may return on Tuesday, 1/11 | **The date above is if a person is fever free for 24 hours and symptoms have improved. |
Unvaccinated students and not boosted staff members who are close contacts are now required to quarantine for 5 days. The following is a table with the revised return to school dates.
| If an unvaccinated student or not boosted staff member was a close contact on the following: | The new return to school/work date is the following: |
| Monday, 1/3 | Tuesday, 1/11 |
| Tuesday, 1/4 | Tuesday, 1/11 |
| Wednesday, 1/5 | Tuesday, 1/11 |
| Thursday, 1/6 | Wednesday, 1/12 |
| Friday, 1/7 | Thursday, 1/13 |
| Saturday, 1/8 | Friday, 1/14 |
| Sunday, 1/9 | Tuesday, 1/18 (No school on 1/17) |
| Monday, 1/10 | Tuesday, 1/18 (No school on 1/17) |
| *Any date prior to 1/3/2022 may return on Tuesday, 1/11 | **Test on day 5 if possible |
Test to Stay Strategy
The District will continue to utilize the Test to Stay strategy wherever possible, as determined in collaboration with our local health department. According to the CDC, schools may continue to use Test to Stay as an alternative to a traditional quarantine. The CDC has clarified that a close contact must perform at least two tests during the period between their enrollment in Test to Stay and day 7 after exposure. The last test should occur 5-7 days after the last close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19. Huntley 158 will continue to offer SHIELD saliva tests to those eligible to participate in the Test to Stay strategy. If your student is eligible for the Test to Stay strategy, you will be contacted by the school nurse.
What if a student or staff member develops symptoms during a period of quarantine?
If an individual who has been identified as a close contact develops symptoms, they must get tested and stay home until they have received a negative COVID-19 test. If they received a negative test result after the onset of symptoms, they may only return to school when these symptoms have resolved. If they receive a positive COVID-19 test, they should isolate for at least 5 days from the onset of symptoms (see “Isolation” guidelines above).
When should a student or staff member isolate for longer than 5 days?
If an individual’s symptoms have not resolved after 5 days, they should continue to stay home and remain in isolation. They may return to school once they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and their other symptoms have improved before returning to school (this may not include slight congestion, slight cough or loss of taste or smell. If you are unsure of persisting symptoms, please reach out to your school nurse).
Is universal masking still required?
Yes. The CDC’s most up to date guidelines do not have any impact on Governor Pritzker’s mask mandate for all students, staff and visitors. Universal masking is still required in all of our buildings.
If you have specific questions regarding your child’s next steps, please reach out to your building principal. Our building and district administrators, in collaboration with our health services staff, are working as quickly as possible to respond to families who are currently in quarantine or isolation. Please be patient as we work to contact impacted families with the most accurate and up to date information.
Thank you,
Scott Rowe, Ed.D.
Superintendent
