Canutillo ISD values the health, safety, and welfare of our students, faculty and staff above everything else. Each year, respiratory viruses are responsible for millions of illnesses and thousands of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States. In addition to the virus that causes COVID-19, there are many other types of respiratory viruses, including flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). We would like to remind all our students, parents and staff to remain healthy by following the information below.
Daily Symptom Screening & Reporting of Illness
- Monitor DAILY for symptoms of illness prior to coming to school or work.
We want to ensure all students and staff come to school in good health and have a productive day. All parents are responsible for sending students to school without symptoms related to an infectious disease.
- Temperature check protocols
There will be no daily temperature checks performed on students or staff entering CISD school buildings. It is the personal responsibility of each individual to take his/her temperature prior to going to work/school.
- Staying home when sick
To avoid the spread of an infectious disease to other students and staff, please stay home or go to a medical provider for evaluation if you are having symptoms of a possible infection, such as fever, cough, congestion, vomiting and diarrhea.
- Report illness to your school nurse
Parents of students who are absent because of symptoms of illness should contact both the school nurse and the attendance office to report illness or submit a doctor’s note. Staff should report an illness to their supervisor. This will help us monitor illness within the school/district.
- Sending students that are sick home
If a student’s symptoms appear after reporting to school, a nurse will make a clinical assessment of the student. The nurse will send the student home if symptoms warrant dismissal from school or require further evaluation by a health care provider.
If staff present with symptoms of an infectious disease, their supervisor may send them home or request they get evaluated by a medical care provider.
Face Masks Protocols
The use of face coverings will not be required for face-to-face learning. However, we strongly recommend the use of face masks indoors when community risk level for COVID-19 (or other respiratory infections) is high.
COVID-19 Rapid Testing
- COVID-19 testing is not mandated after an exposure nor is it required to return to school.
- Students or staff displaying symptoms of COVID-19 are encouraged to test for COVID-19 at available testing sites in the community or visit their primary care provider for evaluation and treatment of symptoms.
- Canutillo ISD will no longer provide COVID-19 testing for teachers, staff or students.
Staff and Students that are Ill
Canutillo ISD has adopted the CDC’s Respiratory Virus Guidance to address work and school attendance for staff and students that become infected with COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
Stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick) if you have respiratory virus symptoms that aren't better explained by another cause. These symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, among others.
When can a person return back to school or work?
- You can go back to your normal activities when both are true for at least 24 hours:
- Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
- You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
- When you go back to your normal activities, take added precautions over the next 5 days:
- Hand hygiene – wash or sanitize your hands often
- Cover your cough or sneeze
- Wear a mask
- Keep your physical distance from others
- Test for respiratory viruses (COVID-19, RSV, or the flu) in order to provide useful information to help you make prevention or treatment choices
Keep in mind that you may still be able to spread the virus that made you sick, even if you are feeling better. You are likely to be less contagious at this time, depending on factors like how long you were sick or how sick you were.
If you develop a fever or you start to feel worse after you have gone back to normal activities, stay home and away from others again until both are true for at least 24 hours:
- Your symptoms are improving overall, and
- You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
Then take added precautions for the next 5 days.
If you never had symptoms but tested positive for a respiratory virus, you may be contagious. For the next 5 days, take added precautions.
Examples
Example 1: Person with fever and symptoms.
Example 2: Person with fever but no other symptoms.
Example 3: Person with fever and other symptoms, fever ends but other symptoms take longer to improve.
Example 4: Person gets better and then gets a fever.
Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette
- Staff and students are expected to regularly wash or sanitize their hands.
Hand sanitizer will be available for use on the campus. We ask parents to talk to their children about the importance of maintaining proper hand hygiene.
- Staff will assist in maintaining the cleanliness of surfaces in the classroom. Access to disinfecting supplies will be available upon request by the teacher to sanitize working surfaces when necessary.
- Covering coughs and sneezes.
It is important to show your child how to cover their coughs and sneezes in order to decrease the spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, influenza, or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Vaccination
Vaccination against COVID-19, the flu and RSV continues to be strongly encouraged for all eligible individuals as a public health preventive measure. However, these vaccinations are not mandated and will not be required for students or staff to attend school or work.
Additional Information
Additional information can be found at the following websites.