RQS Update: Changes to Mandates and Recommendations

Vaccination Status:

The CDC defines fully-vaccinated status as:

Between 2 weeks and 5 months after receiving the second PFizer vaccine shot
Between 2 weeks and 6 months after receiving the second Moderna vaccine shot
Between 2 weeks and 2 months after receiving the single Johnson and Johnson shot
Anytime after receiving any of the available approved booster vaccine shots

Quarantine:

After Jan. 1, 2022, the District will no longer be involved in the process to contact trace positive COVID cases. Jackson County and Kansas City health departments will manage this process. Should your child need to quarantine, you will receive information directly from either Jackson County or Kansas City. The District will comply as required by law.

Based on information we’ve received from Jackson County and Kansas City here’s what we understand as current quarantine and isolation guidance. This change in strategy appears to be highly dependent upon masking to reduce risk:

If your child tests positive for COVID-19:

Regardless of vaccination status, they must be isolated (quarantine).
- They will be required to wear a mask in public or around others for an additional 5 days after they leave isolation.
- If your child’s symptoms continue or they continue to have a fever, they must continue to stay home until symptom improvement or 10 days after symptom onset.

If they have no symptoms or symptoms are resolving after 5 days, they can leave isolation on day 6.

If your child is exposed to someone with COVID-19 and is recently fully-vaccinated as defined above:

They do not have to stay at home for 5 days; however, they are required to wear a mask around others for a full 10 days after the date of exposure.
If they develop symptoms, you are encouraged to have them tested and they must stay home until the receipt of their test results. Those results will determine further guidance.

It is strongly recommended that your student be tested 5 days after their exposure.

If your child is exposed to someone with COVID-19 and is not fully-vaccinated as defined above, boosted, or is unvaccinated:

They must quarantine for 5 days.

They can return from isolation on day 6; however, they must continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.

If they develop symptoms, you are encouraged to have them tested and they must stay home until the receipt of their test results. Those results will determine further guidance.

It is strongly recommended that you get a test 5 days after their exposure.

If you have questions, please contact District Nurses by email at districtnurses@raytownschools.org.

If you have a positive case in your household, unvaccinated household members must be isolated from the positive case. If they are unable to isolate then their first day of quarantine does not count until the positive is no longer contagious. This means that someone who is unvaccinated and cannot be isolated, would be quarantined for a minimum of 16 days. For more information, please contact either the Kansas City health Department at 816-513-6008 or the Jackson County Health Department 816-404-6415. The health department you contact is determined by your home address.

Staying at home:

It is important to remember that one of the most important ways to reduce the spread of disease is by staying home when you are sick. Your student should stay at home if they are experiencing a new cough, difficulty breathing, or loss of taste and smell and/or any two symptoms of the following symptoms:

Fever or chills
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea

Students who are experiencing possible symptoms of COVID-19 must provide proof of a negative COVID test or quarantine for 5 days, returning on day 6, if symptoms are resolving and the student is fever free for 24 hours. In either scenario, masking is required through day 10 after symptom onset. If you have questions, please contact District Nurses by email at districtnurses@raytownschools.org.

Students and staff who are waiting on results of a COVID-19 test should not come to school/work.

Self-test (home test)

According to the CDC, Self-testing is one of several risk-reduction strategies to reduce the chances of COVID-19 transmission. They may be used regardless of vaccination or symptom status. The District will accept at-home test results.

A positive self-test result means that the test detected the virus, and you are very likely to have an infection and should stay home or isolate for 5 days, return on day 6 if symptoms are resolving and fever free for 24 hours. Masking is required through day 10.
Wear a mask if you could have contact with others, and avoid indoor gatherings to reduce the risk of spreading disease to someone else. If test results are positive, no additional testing is necessary.
A negative self-test result means that the test did not detect the virus and you may not have an infection, but it does not rule out infection. Repeating the test within a few days, with at least 24 hours between tests, will increase the confidence that you are not infected. If at-home test results are negative and symptoms improve within 24 hours, a follow-up PCR test is not needed. If at-home test results are negative but symptoms persist for 24 hours a follow-up PCR test is required.

Travel

As of December 6, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires all air passengers, regardless of vaccination status, to show a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than one (1) day before travel to the United States.

After arrival

You might have been exposed to COVID-19 on your travels. You might feel well and not have any symptoms, but you can still be infected and spread the virus to others. For this reason, CDC recommends the following:

ALL Travelers (including vaccinated)

Get tested with a COVID-19 viral test 3-5 days after travel.
Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate (quarantine) and get tested if you develop symptoms.
Follow all state and local recommendations or requirements after travel.

If You Are NOT Fully-Vaccinated

In addition to the testing recommendations above
Stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel, even if you test negative at 3-5 days.
If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.

For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel-during-covid19.html

As a reminder, our mitigation measures are subject to change, and we will always communicate changes to our processes with you proactively as necessary.

If you have any questions, please contact your student’s school or District Nurses by email at districtnurses@raytownschools.org.