COVID-19 POLICY (8/16/22)
 
The following policy is based on the updated guidelines referred to as COVID-19 Isolation and Exposure Guidance issued by the Department of Public Health in alignment with the CDC published on August 15, 2022.  The COVID-19 Healthline is a resource created by EEC to answer questions regarding guidelines and testing protocols. The phone number is 857-488-4418 and the email address is EEChealthline@primary.health.  Programs are required to work with the local Board of Health in the case of outbreaks. The state of Massachusetts is not recommending universal mask requirements in childcare programs.  However, any individual who wishes to continue to mask, including those who face a higher risk from COVID-19, will be supported in that choice.    
 
If your child exhibits symptoms of COVID-19, please keep your child at home until a negative COVID-19 test has been obtained.  Please have your child wear a mask until a second negative test is obtained between 24 and 48 hours after the first negative test.  If your child receives a positive COVID-19 test or has a close contact exposure, please notify us immediately.
 
Immediate exclusion from care:
Fever 100 degrees or higher, chills, shaking chills
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
New loss of taste or smell
Muscle or body aches
Cough (not due to other known cause)

OR

The following symptoms in combination with the symptoms above:
Sore throat
Nausea or vomiting
Headache
Fatigue
Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes such as allergies
 
Quarantine for asymptomatic exposed individuals is not required, regardless of vaccination status and where exposure occurred.  Those who are identified as close contacts may continue to attend programming as long as they remain asymptomatic but should mask until day 10 using a KN-95, N-95, or KF-94 mask, and test for COVID-19 on day 6. Those who test positive must isolate for 5 days.  If asymptomatic or symptoms are resolving and the individual is fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication, she/he may return after day 5 if able to mask through day 10.  If unable to mask, the individual needs to test negative on day 5 or later, prior to return if before day 10.   Day 0 is the date of exposure for close contacts, and for positive cases, is the first day of symptoms OR the day the positive test was taken, whichever is earlier.  This information is summarized in the chart below:
 
​Child or Adult                              Quarantine/Isolation                              Testing                                          Masking (KN-95, N-95, KF-94)

Non-exclusionary                       No                                                              Day 0 and Day 1 or 2                 Until after 2nd negative test
Symptoms

Close contact exposure            No                                                              Day 6                                            10 days (inside, not outside)
​but asymptomatic

Positive COVID test                    Isolate 5 days                                           No (can return on day 6            10 days (inside, not outside)
                                                                                                                          if fever free for 24 hrs.
                                                                                                                          w/o fever reducing meds.

Positive COVID test                    Isolate 5 days                                           Yes (negative test on day 5
and unable to mask                                                                                       or later if returning to 
​                                                                                                                           school before day 10