COVID-19 POLICY
The following policy is based on updates referred to as COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Guidance Guidelines published on May 22, 2022. These guidelines were created in partnership with the Executive Office or Health and Human Services, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Department of Early Education and Care. EEC has created a COVID Helpline as a resource to answer questions regarding testing protocols for an exposed individual who is asymptomatic, a positive and/or symptomatic case who has attended the program while infectious, and assistance with developing or modifying infection control policies. The phone number is 857-488-4418 and the email address is EEChealthline@primary.health. An epidemiologist can be contacted through the DPH at 617-983-6800 or Childcare.Covid19@mass.gov. Programs are required to work with the local Board of Health in the case of outbreaks.
If your child exhibits symptoms of COVID-19, please keep your child at home until a negative COVID-19 test has been obtained. 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 children, regardless of where exposure occurred, is no longer required. Children 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 2 and day 5. Children who test positive must isolate for 5 days. If asymptomatic or symptoms are resolving and the child is fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication, the child may return after day 5 if the child is able to mask through day 10. If unable to mask, the child 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. The information is summarized in the chart below:
CHILD QUARANTINE/ISOLATION TESTING MASKING (KN-95, N-95, KF-94)
Close contact exposure No Day 2 and 5 10 days (inside and outside)
but asymptomatic
Positive COVID test Isolate 5 days No (can return to school 10 days (inside and outside)
on day 6 if fever free for
24 hrs. without fever
reducing medication
Positive COVID test and Isolate 5 days Yes (negative test on day
unable to mask 5 or later if returning to
school before day 10)
All teachers and children will wear masks while inside the classroom. While the state mask mandate was lifted on February 28th, 2022, mask wearing remains strongly recommended for those who are not vaccinated, returning to care on days 6-10 after 5 days of isolation, and for those identified as close contacts. Masks are removed for eating/drinking, sleeping, and outside.
Staff who are symptomatic should test before entering the program. Classroom closure is not recommended, and no exclusion or quarantine is required for an exposed cohort. A positive staff member should isolate at home for 5 days. The teacher can return on day 6 and rapid test is recommended. If the teacher cannot mask, she/he should test on day 5. If the test is negative, the teacher may return. If the test is positive, the teacher should continue isolating until a negative test is obtained through day 10. If the teacher cannot test, she/he must stay home for 10 days. If a staff member is exposed, she/he can remain if a test is done each morning for 5 days. It does not matter if the exposure is in or out of the program or from household members. The information is summarized in the chart below:
TEACHER QUARANTINE/ISOLATION TESTING MASKING (KN-95, N-95, KF-94)
Close contact exposure No Mornings of day 1-5 10 days
but asymptomatic
Positive COVID test Isolate 5 days Rapid test recommended 10 days
before return to program
(can return to school on
day 6 if fever free for 24
hrs. without fever
reducing medication
Positive COVID test and Isolate 5 days Yes (negative test on day
unable to mask 5 or later if returning to
school before day 10)