Close Contact School Procedures
As we have informed our parents and community, Lansing USD 469 has now had three positive COVID-19 cases since the start of school on September 9th. With each of these cases, we have implemented our close contact procedures and want to communicate these to parents and families in the community.
Once we are notified of a positive test result, we immediately start the process of compiling information to determine which students and staff fit the definition of a “close contact”. As a reminder, a person is considered a close contact of a case if they were within 6 feet of the case for 10 minutes or more, or if they had exposure to secretions (for example, being coughed or sneezed on).
Our process of compiling information involves several steps:
- We pull the seating charts for the impacted classes.
- We go to each classroom affected to check the arrangement and location of desks and measure six feet from the positive student’s desk. Because all class times are over ten minutes, anyone within six feet on the seating chart is considered a close contact.
- As part of this process, we also ask the teacher about classroom procedures and any special activities that might have happened in class that day (did they visit another room, was a lab being conducted, etc.). This is repeated for every class the positive case attended.
- Once we have our list of close contacts, we check attendance for all close contacts for the days the positive student was in school along with the close contacts.
- We submit this list of close contacts to the Leavenworth County Health Department, who then uses our close contact list to investigate which students should be quarantined.
Lansing Schools ensure all close contacts are immediately notified and informed to not report to school and await a call from the health department about possible quarantine. The health department has said they will make the calls within 24 hours of receiving the lists.
Below are some answers to questions that come up about close contact and quarantine:
Can I appeal my quarantine?
We cannot divulge the name of the student that is a positive case. This is covered under HIPAA. Many times, people believe they know which student tested positive, but are mistaken.
How could someone on the close contact list be quarantined and then released sooner?
As mentioned above, the health department does an investigation and determines who is required to quarantine. Based on the health department’s investigation, they may find that a quarantine is unnecessary due to additional clarifying information based on classroom activities. Physical education classes are especially difficult to determine which students should be on the list. Lansing schools err on the side of including students and let the health department investigation make the final determination.
Why am I on the close contact list if I wear a mask?
Wearing a mask will help limit the spread of the disease and hopefully prevent a student or staff member from catching COVID19. We ask students and staff to wear masks to minimize the spread of the virus, but it does not change the definition of a close contact.