GCSC to change COVID-19 policies effective Jan. 5
Positive changes to the COVID-19 situation both locally and nationwide have prompted Greencastle Community Schools to plan changes for second semester.
In a message to parents Monday evening, Supt. Jeff Gibboney announced, among other changes, that masks will be recommended, but not required, in GCSC facilities beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 5, the teacher work day following winter break.
The first student day with optional masks will be Thursday, Jan. 6.
Gibboney noted that recently falling COVID-19 cases as well as the approval of vaccines for children ages 5-11 helped prompt the changes to the GCSC In-Person Instruction Plan.
“Throughout the past couple of weeks, we have observed a steady decrease in the number of positive COVID-19 cases in our schools and the local community,” Gibboney said. “In addition, the COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for individuals 5 years and older.”
Masks will still be required on buses as long as the federal mandate for such measures remains in place.
Schools with a weekly COVID-19 positivity rate above 5 percent will be required to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status, until the weekly positivity rate drops below 4 percent.
The Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 recently received federal approval for all individuals five years of age and older, making the vaccine to a high percentage of the school corporation’s students.
GCSC opened the school year with masks optional, but amid rising cases, began requiring masks for students and staff in mid-August.
Aside from masks, Gibboney anouncerd some other updates to the plan.
On the subject of contact tracing, any individual within 3-6 feet of a person who tests positive for COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes in a 24-hour period will be considered a close contact.
In such situations, the parents or guardians of a student identified as a close contact will be notified of the students need to quarantine, unless they:
• Provide proof of being fully vaccinated, or
• Provide proof of an independent positive COVID-19 test within the past 90 days.
One change taking place sooner will be the availability of rapid COVID-19 testing in GCSC clinics.
Beginning Monday, Nov. 15, symptomatic students (with parental consent) are eligible for free rapid testing by GCSC clinic staff. Symptoms must be verified by clinic staff. Results will be availabe within 15 minutes.
Gibboney noted that this is a less invasive test, with the idea being to help reduce the spread of the virus within the school system.
Finally, GCSC will continue providing the weekly COVID-19 dashboard on the GCSC website. Beginning in January, the dashboard will be listed by individual schools.
As has been the case since the beginning of the pandemic, COVID-19 is a constantly developing situation, so Gibboney appealed to parents to continue to monitor their students’ health on a daily basis.
“GCSC will continue following the other mitigation procedures established at the start of the 2021-22 school year,” Gibboney said. “We ask that parents/guardians continue to follow the daily screening protocol, keeping your students home when they are ill and/or waiting on a COVID test result.”