[Date]
Dear parent or guardian:
[Insert School Name] regards the health and well-being of our students and staff as a priority. We were alerted that someone diagnosed or suspected of having COVID-19 was near your child on [mm/dd]. We are following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help ensure that the person diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19 follows isolation instructions and stays away from others until she can safely return to the school setting. We will also continue to clean and disinfect all areas of the school.
Working with school and public health officials, we have determined that your child is considered a close contact of the person diagnosed or suspected of having COVID-19. Information you provide during contact tracing activities will be kept confidential in accordance with applicable federal, state and local privacy laws and regulations.
If your child [SELECT OPTION PER SCHOOL POLICY: Is not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, including all eligible boosters / has not received their primary vaccine series]they must quarantine at home for at least 5 days after their last close contact with someone who has COVID-19 (date of last close contact is considered day 0).
Please note the following important dates:
- The date of your child’s last known close contact with the person diagnosed or suspected of having COVID-19 was [Insert date of exposure. If exposed on more than one day, list all dates of known exposure].
- We recommend that your child be tested at least 5 days after the date of last known close contact with someone with COVID-19. This means that your child must be tested on or after [insert date for day 5, using the date of the last exposure as day 0].
- If their test is negative, they can return to school on [Insert date for day 6, using the date of the last exposure as day 0].
- If positive, they should self-isolate for at least 5 days from the date their symptoms began or from the date the positive virus test was collected if they do not have symptoms . They must follow our school’s isolation guidelines to return to school.
- Everyone in close contact should correctly and consistently wear a properly fitting mask around others for 10 days from the date of their last close contact with someone with COVID-19.
- You should monitor your child for symptoms until 10 days after their last close contact with someone with COVID-19, or until [insert date for day 10, using the date of the last exposure as day 0]. If symptoms develop, your child should immediately self-isolate and get tested, and you should notify the school immediately. When you let us know, we can take additional steps to keep our school community safe. We may need to identify, in accordance with applicable privacy and confidentiality laws, regulations and policies, potential close contacts your student has had with others in order to prevent further spread of the virus.
- The CDC continues to recommend indoor masking in K-12 schools for all individuals ages 2 and older, including students, teachers, staff, and visitors, regardless of immunization status.
If your child has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days and you are willing to provide proof of previous positive viral test at school, please contact [insert name of appropriate school contact] at [insert email and phone number]. People who have tested positive within the past 90 days and have subsequently recovered and remain symptom-free of COVID-19 do not need to quarantine or be tested after close contact. They should correctly and consistently wear a properly fitted mask around others and monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 for 10 days from the date of their last close contact with someone with COVID-19.
- We encourage you to visit [insert hyperlink to local public health department or other appropriate links] for more information on how to keep your family and our school community safe. Additionally, the CDC website also provides information on COVID-19, including an overview of quarantine as it relates to the K-12 school setting. We will be happy to welcome your child back into in-person learning on the date listed above, or if you can provide proof of vaccination or a positive test result within the past 90 days. Waiting for, [insert name of teacher or school administrator] will contact you with additional information on how your child can continue to learn and receive instruction during this time away from in-person school.
We will continue to provide you with regular updates as needed and will continue to notify you promptly of any COVID-19 or health-related issues. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions and concerns. Please call us at [NUMBER]write to us at [EMAIL]or visit our website [INSERT DETAILS HERE] for updates.
Rest assured that we are committed to facilitating an optimal learning experience and ensuring the safety of our students and staff.
Truly,
[NAME, TITLE, and CONTACT INFORMATION]
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