•  2021-22 health and safe

    Updated Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention

    The Illinois Department of Public and Illinois State Board of Education issued updated Guidance of Schools on the Preveniton of COVID-19 in on March 22, 2022. 

    Face Masks

    Schools no longer require universal face masks while community-level transmission is low or medium as defined by the CDC, but remain optional for anyone who wishes to wear them. The CDC community-level transmission rate includes the number of cases locally, hospitalizations and hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients. If the community level changes, the district may again require face masks.

    Quarantine & Isolation

    The updated state guidance continues to require schools to follow quarantine and isolation guidelines for confirmed and probable cases and close contacts as established by the CDC. The district’s diagram, What to do if... illustrates the decision tree to follow.

    Visitors

    Vaccination is the current leading public health prevention strategy to prevent adverse outcomes related to COVID-19. The state guidelines continue to require school personnel to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing. 

    Northfield Township is part of a Cook County region designated by the CDC as low community transmission level. So long as that level is maintained, volunteers will be allowed in the schools:

    • who are vaccinated or
    • can produce an at-home negative test within 24 hours of coming to school or
    • a negative PCR test within the last 72 hours.

    Please show a photo of the test results when signing in at school. If the transmission level moves to moderate or high, this modification will be rescinded and reverted.

    SHIELD Testing

     Status change requests will be implemented for the following week. Please note if your child tests positive for COVID, they are automatically suspended from SHIELD testing and should not participate for 90 days. If you would like your child to restart SHIELD after 90 days, please complete the Change in Status form the week prior to resuming testing.

    Prevention

    The district will continue to follow prevention strategies that remain important in protecting students and community members, including:

    • Physical distancing
    • Screening testing to identify cases and clusters
    • Ventilation
    • Handwashing and respiratory etiquette
    • Staying home when sick and getting tested
    • Contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation for positive cases
    • Cleaning and disinfecting

    Monitoring

    An ad hoc committee of staff, nurses and administrators will review the updated guidance and review the district’s response to community-level transmission, making recommendations when warranted.

    COVID Dashboard

    The District 28 COVID Dashboard is updated daily. Dr. Hewitt will continue to notify staff and families by email when positive cases are reported. 

    Remote Learning During Quarantine

    Please review the philosophy and expectations for remote learning when children are quarantined.

    Travel Guidance

    Please review travel guidelines for domestic and international travel for vaccinated and unvaccinated students.

    Community Testing Sites

    The Cook County Department of Public Health provides an updated list of community testing sites that are open to all regardless of symptoms and do not require an appointment.