Novato Unified School District: Dec. 29, 2021 Update – Return To School

Press release from the Novato Unified School District:

12.29.2021 NUSD Update – Return to School

December 29, 2021

Dear NUSD Community,

We hope this finds you well and staying healthy during the Winter Break. As you may know, the Covid-19 Omicron Variant is highly contagious and moving through our community. We have some reminders and updates regarding Covid testing and guidelines below to help keep us all safe:

• Reminder: Please use the rapid antigen test kit the day before you or your student returns to school. For most individuals that will be January 3 and for some NUSD staff members it will be January 2.
  • Be sure to report the results – both positive or negative results– to Health as NUSD has this reporting system. Please scan the Code below and follow the instructions. If you are unable to scan the code, please use this link: https://my.primary.health/l/novatounified

• If you are unable to report the results online, call (650) 275-5419.
• If your test result is positive, please report this to your school or supervisor.
• Reminder: Masking is required indoors, and paper masks are preferred over cloth masks.
• The CDC and Marin Public Health have changed isolation days from 10 to 5 days.
  • Vaccinated individuals who have been exposed and do not have symptoms will go on modified quarantine** for 5 days and will test on Day 5.
    • If negative result, individual exit modified quarantine and can participate in activities and must continue to mask.
    • If positive result or symptomatic, isolate for 5 days. Test again after another 5 days.
  • Unvaccinated individuals who have been exposed isolate for 5 days and test on Day 5.
    • If negative result and not symptoms, can exit isolation and must continue masking.
    • If positive result, continue isolation for 5 days. Test again after another 5 days.

** Modified Quarantine: Students in TK-12 schools (not childcare settings) may attend school, ride the bus, and attend before-/after-care programs for in-person instruction and child care as long as they do not develop symptoms, wear a mask, monitor for symptoms for 14 days and get tested for Covid-19 5 days after last contact with positive case (or return from out-of-state travel). If any symptoms develop, students should immediately self-isolate and get tested or be evaluated by a healthcare provider. Modified Quarantine may be discontinued after 5 days with a negative test completed on Day 5 or later if they remain without symptoms. During modified quarantine students should refrain from socializing outside of school and going out in public.

• Marin Public Health is planning to release updated guidance on Friday, December 31, including updated Positive Case instructions, Quarantine Guide and Decision Trees.

We hope to provide another update on Friday, at the earliest.

Respectfully,

Leslie Benjamin

Director, Communications & Community Engagement

Jan La Torre-Derby, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Novato Unified School District

1015 7th Street
Novato, CA 94945

415.897.4201

[email protected]

Monday - Friday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

This press release was produced by the Novato Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.