Health Protocols
The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) & CDC no longer recommends contact tracing and quarantining in schools. Therefore, New Castle Schools will not quarantine students or staff for individuals in close contact with an infected person.
Masks and or face coverings continue to be 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 & CDC guidelines. New Castle schools will continue to isolate positive individuals for at least 5 days per IDOH & CDC guidelines.
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.
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. Students must also be free from vomiting or diarrhea for at least 24 hours without the use of medications.
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.
We encourage parents, caregivers, or guardians (“caregivers”) to monitor their children for symptoms of infectious illness every day before they leave for school through home-based symptom screening. Please view and download the IDOH parent screening tool:
https://www.in.gov/health/immunization/files/22_Parent-screening_8-3.pdf
August 2023 Monkeypox Protocols
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. This virus is spread through excessive, direct, skin-skin contact with an infected individual.
An infected person will immediately be quarantined upon suspicion and/or confirmation of the monkeypox infection. Per IDOH guidelines, New Castle Community Schools will notify the New Castle Health Department of any infectious communicable disease such as monkeypox.
The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) & CDC do not recommend contact tracing and quarantining in schools. Therefore, New Castle Schools will not quarantine students or staff for individuals in close contact with an infected person. Parents, however, will be notified if a student in their child’s class/school has been diagnosed with monkeypox.
Although the CDC and IDOH do not specifically recommend additional cleaning in the area of a positive case, NCCSC will perform extra cleaning of the room in question.
Please practice proper handwashing, know the symptoms of monkeypox, and report any monkeypox symptoms immediately to your healthcare provider, school health assistant or Corporate RN.