On Friday and again today, Amity Supt. Jenn Byars sent “The Letter” out to the Amity Community.
Here’s Today’s version:
On Sunday, October 18, 2020, Amity Regional School District No. 5 was notified that a member of our school community has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). The affected person has been instructed to remain home in self-isolation for 10 days and has been provided with additional instructions to follow prior to returning to school. Family members have also been instructed to self-quarantine and get tested.
The last day this person was in Amity Regional High School was Wednesday, October 14, 2020. Anyone who is considered a “close contact” with this person has been contacted or will be contacted by local health officials and provided with instructions on the appropriate steps to take. If you are not contacted by the local health department, then you/your student is not considered a close contact.
To assist the schools and the health district with contact tracing, we are asking parents to please go into PowerSchool to update the PRIMARY contact information. Directions for updating PowerSchool information are included in this SwiftK12 message. For timely contact tracing, it is critical that a primary phone number is a number where a parent/guardian can be reached quickly. We thank you for your assistance with this.
COVID-19 is spread mainly via person-to-person contact through contaminated air droplets from coughing and sneezing by an infected person. As with controlling the spread of other viruses, we urge everyone to discuss the following preventive measures with your children and family members:
• Wash your hands frequently, but especially after using the restroom and before preparing or consuming food. Using soap and hot water, wash for about 20 seconds. Be sure to also wash your fingertips. When soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
• Avoid coughing or sneezing into your hands or in the air. Always try to cough or sneeze into a tissue, then throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough/sneeze inside the elbow of your arm.
• As much as you can, avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.
• Wear a face covering (mask) whenever there is a likelihood that you or your family members will be in the presence of others.
• Maintain social distancing (at least 6 feet) between yourself and others when outside of your home.
Below is the list of COVID-19 symptoms for which everyone should monitor in their family members:
❑ Fever (100.4° Fahrenheit or higher)
❑ Chills or shaking chills
❑ Uncontrolled new cough (not due to other known cause, such as a chronic cough)
❑ Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
❑ New loss of taste or smell
For additional information on COVID-19 symptoms, please see:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
Everyone is reminded that staff and students exhibiting any of the above symptoms, or feeling ill, should remain home and call their medical provider to report their symptoms and ask about testing prior to seeking in-person care at a clinic, physician’s office, or hospital.
For more information on what to do if you or a family member has possible symptoms, a diagnosis, or exposure to COVID-19, please see Addendum 5: Interim Guidance for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios in Connecticut School Districts, available here:
https://portal.ct.gov/SDE/COVID19/COVID-19-Resources-for-Families-and- Educators/Addendums-and-FAQs
We are closely monitoring this situation and working with the Orange Health Department and Quinnipiack Valley Health District. At this time, health officials are not recommending aclosure of school. We will provide you with updates if the situation changes.
Sincerely,
Jenn Byars
