Hello Windsor Staff and Families,
Please read the following Covid related updates. Some very important changes have occurred recently. Our Top County Health Official, Dr. Sundari Mase has recently released County Health Order C19-33 related to required boosters and testing for "Education Workers". It takes effect on February 1st 2022. The CDC has recently released updated guidance on the period of isolation following a Covid infection. This has already taken effect in areas that are in alignment with the CDC. Each section is headed with an active link that will take you to the source material but a condensed version is included in the body of this email.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this thoroughly.
Happy New Year.
Pete
Sonoma County Health Order C19-33:
This Order of the Health Officer requires public and private schools serving students in Transitional Kindergarten through grade 12 to require Workers to get tested twice weekly for the virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) or produce satisfactory evidence that they are Fully Updated against COVID-19.
For this order Fully Updated is as follows:
a. “Fully Updated” means that an individual is not only “Fully Vaccinated” but has also obtained a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccination for which they are eligible as authorized by the FDA. For example, as of the effective date of this Order, individuals who received their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine more than six months ago are eligible for and must obtain a booster shot to be Fully Updated, while individuals who received one dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine more than two months ago are eligible for and must obtain a booster shot of any of the available vaccines to be Fully Updated.
b. “Worker” means all paid and unpaid adults serving in the school settings. Workers include, but are not limited to, certificated and classified staff, analogous staff working in private school settings, and volunteers who are on-site at a school campus supporting school functions.
CDC Guidance regarding a shortened isolation period:
On Monday December 27th the CDC released the following statement regarding the period of isolation following covid infection:
CDC is shortening the recommended time for isolation from 10 days for people with COVID-19 to 5 days, if asymptomatic, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others. The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after. Therefore, people who test positive should isolate for 5 days and, if asymptomatic at that time, they may leave isolation if they can continue to mask for 5 days to minimize the risk of infecting others.
CDPH has stated that they plan to align with CDC, and will hopefully be releasing updated guidance on the matter within the coming days. Sonoma County will most likely be aligning, but we will probably wait for the CDPH update first. Please stay tuned - we expect to know more within the coming days. In the meantime, please continue to use our current guidance for quarantine and isolation, and not the new CDC recommendations.
What does this mean for our staff and students?
Health Order:
- This order does not directly affect students
- Staff will be required to send the following information Through CrisisGo communication platform:
1. Vaccination card with: (1) Full name and date of birth; (2) COVID19 Vaccine manufacturer; and (3) dates of COVID-2 Vaccine administration. OR
2. Provide COVID-19 Test results twice a week.
- Workers not eligible for a booster will be exempt until such time as the booster is recommended based on vaccination date.
CDC Guidance Update:
- This order currently does not affect anyone in Sonoma County yet, and WUSD is required to follow county health orders. However, when/if Sonoma County Public Health adopts the CDC order all students, staff and community members who are infected with the Covid-19 virus will have a shortened period of isolation. The period of isolation will go from 10 days (current) to 5 days if asymptomatic and wear a mask.
Peter Sullivan
Windsor Unified School District
Director of Covid Mitigation
707-837-7767 ext. 2211