Return to Learn Quarantine Update
Recent quarantine change announced by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)
April 7, 2021
Dear HAS Families and Staff,
I would like to share a recent change announced by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). MDHHS announced this week a change to the quarantine period. “Due to increasing case rates and variant spread in Michigan, MDHHS has reinstated a standard 14-day quarantine for close contacts of COVID-19 cases. This will remove the option of reducing quarantine to 10 days.” Parents will see this change in the quarantine letters that are sent by our building administrators and directors.
People who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 must quarantine and monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days following exposure. If you show any symptoms of the virus, you should immediately isolate and get tested.
With this change, I want to remind families that there is an increase in the number of students who are being tested for COVID-19 by a rapid antigen test. Any positive result from this rapid antigen test must be confirmed by a PCR Test. Until that happens, the school district is required to treat a positive result from a rapid antigen test as a probable positive COVID-19 case and conduct quarantine of close contacts. Therefore, it is possible in some cases, a quarantine could be lifted if the PCR Test comes back negative. To date, this has rarely happened during our COVID-19 contact tracing process.
I want to remind our parents to communicate with building principals and building office staff as soon as possible following the confirmation of a positive COVID-19 test result. This allows the school district to effectively and efficiently conduct contact tracing investigations and communicate quarantine measures of identified “Close Contacts” in a timely fashion.
Lastly, we are continuing to see a new rise in COVID-19 cases at the national, state, and local levels. It is important to remain vigilant with following COVID-19 protocols at all times if we are to keep our buildings open for the In-Person option. I continue to meet with our county health department each week. We are closely monitoring the rise in cases and the increase in quarantine. We will continue to inform our families regarding any potential changes in our programming.
Please continue to be safe and responsible at school and out of school. Please continue to check our district website for updates regarding our Return to Learn Plan.
Thank you everyone. #BronchosUnited #BronchoPride
Sincerely,
Scott M. Roper, Superintendent
HAS Return to Learn Update April 7 2021