COVID Re-entry Plan Update
March 14, 2022
The CDC and the Indiana State Department of Health published new guidelines for schools. In accordance with these new guidelines, the New Castle Community School Corporation has adopted the following protocols related to COVID19.
The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) no longer recommends contact tracing and quarantining in schools. Therefore, New Castle Schools will no longer quarantine students or staff for individuals in close contact with an infected person.
Masks and or face coverings are optional in all New Castle Buildings and school buses.
It is recommended that parents make schools aware of students who are COVID positive. The same 5 day isolation period applies to new IDOH guidelines.
The IDOH dashboard will be discontinued. Therefore, schools will not report COVID data to the IDOH.
New Castle schools will continue to isolate positive individuals for at least 5 days per CDC and IDOH.
In the event there is a cluster outbreak in a school, the New Castle Registered Nurse will communicate with the Local Health Department (LHD) and they will evaluate the situation to determine next steps.
The New Castle Registered Nurse will notify our LHD when absenteeism reaches 10% for COVID-like illness or when schools are concerned about the level of illness.
A negative test of doctor’s note is no longer required to return to school. As with other illnesses, students should not return to school unless they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and their symptoms are resolved.
If an Individual tests positive:
Individuals who are confirmed to have COVID-19 regardless of their vaccination status or symptoms should be isolated from other people for at least 5 full days (day 0 is the first day of symptoms or the date of the day of the positive viral test for asymptomatic persons).
Persons who are in isolation may return to school on day 6 as long as they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and symptoms have improved and are to wear a mask when around others at home, in public and at school for an additional 5 days (days 6-10).