We have worked closely with the Kitsap Public Health Department and have been provided with the following sample letter template for our adaptation and use to inform school stakeholders should there be a positive COVID-19 case.  This notification would be a general correspondence to the school (or building) community as well as the entire BISD staff. Separate notification and processes would be conducted regarding the individual and any close contacts.

<Date>

From: Bainbridge Island School District #303

To: <Staff name and/or Parent/Guardian of student name>

Subject: NOTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL EXPOSURE TO COVID-19

Dear Families and Staff of <school name/room or work area>,

There has been a potential exposure to a positive case of COVID-19 identified at your school. 

The date(s) of potential exposure was from < MM/DD/YEAR > to <MM/DD/YEAR >.

Anyone identified as a close contact will be notified by Bainbridge Island School District #303 and/or Kitsap Public Health District. Close contacts will be provided information and recommendations related to their quarantine period and testing.

Please refer to the Washington State Department of Health “What to do if you were potentially exposed to someone with confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19)” document, available online at: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/COVIDexposed.pdf

Next Steps:

•         Staff notification and testing. All staff members identified as a close contact to the COVID-19 confirmed case will be contacted by the school and need to follow Kitsap Public Health guidance to remain at home, in quarantine, for 14 days after last exposure and get tested.  FILL IN SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIFIC FOLLOW UP (e.g. call HR)
•         Family notification and testing. The parent/guardian of students identified as close contact to the COVID-19 confirmed case will be contacted by the school and need to follow Kitsap Public Health guidance to ensure that the student remain at home, in quarantine for 14 days after last exposure and get tested.  FILL IN SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIFIC FOLLOW UP (e.g. being online instruction, wait for further instructions from teacher, etc.)

What you can do:

•         Self-monitor closely for any symptoms that develop in the two weeks after potential exposure,
•         Minimize all non-essential contact with others,
•         Ensure extra vigilance in masking, handwashing, and physical distancing,
•         And seek testing immediately if you develop any symptoms whatsoever or at 5-8 days post exposure if you are concerned about this exposure.

The safety and wellness of the students and staff in our district is a top priority. We are working closely with the Kitsap Public Health District as they conduct case investigation and contact tracing. As soon as we have updated information related to close contacts, classroom, or building closures we will share that with you. If you have additional questions, please contact:  Jim Corsetti  jcorsetti@bisd303.org, Dane Fenwick  dfencwick@bisd303.org, or Erin Murphy emurphy@bisd303.org. 

The CDC defines a close contact as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from two days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, two days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.

Our goal is to identify and inform any close contacts within 24 hours. This is done by reviewing logs/databases of who was present in the identified school environment (such as checking seating charts, transportation logs, etc.) as well as asking staff/students for recollections of interactions.  

Due to state and federal laws regarding privacy, BISD will not disclose the name or other identifiable characteristics of the person (such as grade-level, class schedule, etc.) unless we have express written consent from the staff -or- student and/or their family.

The BISD Point-of-Contacts who perform contact tracing limit the access and amount of information shared to only what is operationally needed.

The district Point-of-Contacts (POCs) will work with individuals who are asked to quarantine or isolate and provide them with details on when they will be able to return to work/school. 

The difference between quarantine and isolation is defined as follows:

Quarantine is keeping someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others to stop the spread of the disease, which can occur before someone knows they are sick or have symptoms. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from Public Health. Quarantine is advised for 14 days as it can take that long for symptoms to develop. If symptoms or a test during the 14-day period indicate that the quarantined person has COVID-19, the person should begin isolation.

Isolation is keeping a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 positive case away from others to prevent the disease from spreading. Isolation is advised for at least 10 days—plus at least 24 hours after a fever resolves without medication—to ensure the infectious period is over and it is safe to be around others. 

The following chart breaks down the different scenarios:

Case Type	Symptomatic Confirmed COVID-19 Case	Asymptomatic Confirmed COVID19 Case	Symptomatic Suspected COVID19 Case w/Lesser Symptoms (* please see guidelines below for pre-existing conditions.)	Symptomatic Suspected COVID19 Case             (* please see guidelines below for pre-existing conditions.)	Close Contact with Confirmed COVID19 Case
Action:	Isolate	Isolate	Isolate	Isolate	Quarantine
Minimum time:	10 days since symptoms first appeared	10 days since positive test result with no symptoms	10 days since symptoms first appeared or at least 24 hours after symptoms have improved w/o the use of medication	10 days since symptoms first appeared (if no test)	14 days since last known contact
Symptom status before return:	Improved symptoms	No symptoms	Improved symptoms	Improved symptoms	No symptoms
Fever status before return:	No fever for at least 24 hours without the use of medication		No fever for at least 24 hours without the use of medication	No fever for at least 24 hours without the use of medication	No fever
Notes:	All 3 must be met	If symptoms appear, follow guidelines for symptomatic confirmed COVID-19 case	If symptoms worsen or there are additional symptoms, the individual is encouraged to pursue COVID-19 testing.	All 3 must be met  If a confirmed negative COVID test is received, the individual can return to school 24 hours after fever is gone without the use of medication and other symptoms have improved	When to test: 1) If symptoms develop, test. If negative, return after 14 days. However, if there is a high suspicion of COVID19, regardless of test result, treat it like suspected/ confirmed case 2) If no symptoms, test no sooner than 48 hours from last known exposure. (If the exact exposure date is unknown or is ongoing, immediate testing is appropriate.) If negative, return after 14 days

*Pre-Existing Conditions:

If you have or are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 but these are attributable to a pre-existing medical condition, which you have written documentation of from your medical provider and have on file with the school nurse, you are permitted to access the school or work site.  Please note, many of the symptoms of COVID-19 are attributable to other illnesses or conditions and thus we encourage any individual with a documented medical condition who notices any difference in their symptoms to isolate at home until they are symptom-free and/or pursue COVID-19 testing.

An outbreak is two or more cases in a classroom.