Monthly FAQs

March 4, 2022

1. When does universal masking become optional in M.S.A.D. No. 75?

Ans: March 9, 2022. Until that date, everyone is expected to follow the current universal masking requirement in District buildings, and also mask on District buses and other vehicles.

2. How does optional masking affect anyone who is returning from isolation due to testing positive for COVID-19?

Ans: The Maine Department of Education and the Maine CDC have advised the requirements for isolation have not changed and are still required. Someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 must isolate for Day 0 - 5; then, they can return to school/work on Day 6 if:

• They are not symptomatic

• And if they had a fever, they are now fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication

• Or if they have had symptoms, the symptoms are improving

If they do return to school/work on Day 6 - 10, they must wear a mask at all times indoors, except when eating and drinking.

3. How will we know who has to wear a mask without sharing health information?

Ans: The school nurse will know who has to wear a mask and share that information as needed. The nurse may simply say “Mary needs to wear a mask through next Monday.”

4. How will we enforce wearing a mask for those students or staff members who are supposed to wear one?

Ans: This will be done on a case-by-case basis in collaboration with the principal or supervisor.

5. Will we be able to identify who has had COVID based on who is wearing a mask?

Ans: No. Many students and staff will wear a mask because they feel more comfortable and safe doing so, not because they have had COVID. There will be people masked for many different reasons.

6. How does contact tracing and quarantining work with optional masking?

Ans: Effective 2/16/22, contact tracing, which is the act of identifying close contacts who might need to quarantine, became a local decision. The District is no longer contact tracing. Therefore, we are not identifying close contacts.

7. Are there situations where an individual might know they were exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19? If yes, how would that be handled?

Ans: Our nurses and administrators cannot act on a situation unless they have been made aware of the facts by those who are involved. Outside reports and hearsay are not actionable.

If an individual knows they were exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, and they share that information with a nurse or administrator, then the nurse will determine next steps. The individual exposed needs to quarantine for five (5) days and then wear a mask for five (5) additional days when returning to school/work, unless they qualify for one of the quarantine exceptions.

8. Can we anticipate another revision of the Maine CDC SOP to coincide with the March 9, 2022, optional masking in Maine schools?

Ans: Yes. We have been advised by the Maine CDC that once optional masking goes into effect, which is scheduled to take place on March 9, 2022, then a revised SOP will be released shortly after. The SOP will continually be updated by the Maine CDC as needed and as conditions of COVID-19 change.

9. If a student or staff member is living in a household with a person who has COVID-19, should they still quarantine?

Ans.: Our nurses and administrators cannot act on a situation unless they have been made aware of the facts by those who are involved. Outside reports and hearsay are not actionable.

If an individual is living in a household with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, and they share that information with a nurse or administrator, then the nurse will determine next steps.

10. Given the decrease in the number of positive COVID-19 cases, why are we continuing with the pooled testing program?

Ans: Pooled testing is a surveillance tool. It provides us with a way to monitor levels of COVID-19 in our schools. Although case counts are decreasing, COVID-19 is still in the community and the virus is continually mutating. If there is another surge, pooled testing can help flag increases in case counts and keep positive cases out of school.

11. So making masking optional does not change the requirement to mask for those who have been instructed to isolate or quarantine. Is that correct?

Ans: Yes

February 10, 2022

Q: Can my student participate in pooled testing by just raising their hand on the day of testing and joining other students being tested?

A: No. A parent/guardian must complete, sign, and return a Consent Form giving permission for any student to participate in the program.

January 6, 2022

Q 1.: In the most recently revised SOP on 12/30/2021 from Maine CDC, it looks like they have done away with quarantines for students/staff in schools with universal masking policies. Is that correct?

A: At first glance it may seem like quarantines are no longer required for students/staff in schools who have adopted universally masking policies. This is not correct.

Anyone identified as a close contact must still quarantine from school and school activities for 5 days from their last COVID-19 exposure, and then wear a mask for an additional 5 days unless they do not have any symptoms are eligible for certain quarantine exemptions that modify the quarantine.

1. The close contact (staff or student) is boosted; or

2. The close contact is a fully vaccinated 16-17 year old student who, according to the U.S. CDC, may receive a booster but has not yet done so; or

3. The close contact (staff or student) is not eligible for a booster but is fully vaccinated; or

4. The close contact (staff or student) completed their second mRNA dose within 6 months (or completed their J&J vaccine within two months); or

5. The close contact (staff or student) participates in school pooled testing; or

6. The school is enforcing a mandatory masking policy.

Staff and students who do not fall within exceptions 1-6 above must quarantine if they are a close contact, regardless of the location of exposure.

If the student or staff only fall within exceptions 5-6, they must quarantine in the community, per Maine CDC quarantine guidelines.

December 2021

Q 1.: My family is planning to travel over the winter break. What are the most recent travel restrictions?

A: The Maine CDC updates travel guidance and information frequently. For the most up-to-date information, go to: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/airborne/coronavirus/travel.shtml

Q 2.: My child has been identified as a close contact to a positive case of COVID-19 on two separate occasions. The first time, I was told she could still come to school but had to quarantine from after school and community activities. The second time, I was told she had to quarantine from everything for ten days. Why the difference?

A: Not all exposures to a positive case of COVID-19 are the same. Contact Tracing Teams go through a two step process when there is a positive case of COVID-19 that impacts students and staff in our schools.

• First, all close contact are identified.

• Second, every close contact situation is examined, looking at where the exposure occurred (i.e. classroom, or cafeteria, or bus, etc.) and determining if one of the quarantine exemptions allowed this year is applicable. The exceptions are:

• If individual is fully vaccinated, then no quarantine.

• If individual has been infected with COVID-19 in the previous 90 days, then no quarantine.

• If individual is in pooled testing (and exposure occurred AT SCHOOL), then can attend school and school-related activities, but must quarantine from community activities.

• If a student (does not apply to staff) is in a school systems with universal masking, AND

  • If exposure occurred in the classroom, AND

  • If students were at least 3 feet apart, AND

  • If students were wearing their masks properly, AND

  • If students did not have direct physical contact,

then the student can attend school, but must quarantine from school-related after school activities and community activities.

November 2021

Q 1.: Why are there so many different organizations providing health and safety guidance during the pandemic to Maine schools?

A: First, a pandemic is an epidemic of an infectious disease over a whole country or the world. Health and safety management during a pandemic is overseen by public health entities. In Maine, that entity is the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ME CDC).

Second, public schools in Maine are provided oversight by the Maine Department of Education (MDOE). During a pandemic, the MDOE provides a framework for school operations. MDOE works in partnership with the ME CDC in the development of procedures and guidance to support health and safety in schools.

Finally, school nurses bridge the gap between educational needs and medical needs of students. During the pandemic, the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MAAP) provides consultation and leadership to the Maine Department of Education for nursing practice standards of assessment and care. School nurses follow the recommended medical standards of practice and guidance from this professional organization.

Pre-Screening Tool (Updated 10/19/21)

Assessing A Symptomatic Child (Updated 10/21/21) (Updated 11/3/21) (Updated 12/10/21)

Standard Operating Procedure for Investigation of COVID-19 in Pre-K-12 Schools (Updated 9/13/21) (Updated 10/29/21)

Questions Below Updated 11-17-21

Q 2.: What is the difference between an outbreak and a surge?

A: An outbreak is defined as 3 or more PCR confirmed cases in the same school within a 14 day period. All laboratory confirmed PCR test results are sent to the Maine CDC. From there an epidemiologist determines whether or not a school is in an outbreak status. Once a school is flagged as being in an outbreak, the epidemiologist will contact the Superintendent to discuss specifics of the situation.

A surge is a spike in cases confirmed by an antigen test in the community at large.

A school can have as little as 3 positive cases and be in an outbreak, or have as many as 24 cases and not be in an outbreak. It is all based on the epidemiological definition.

Q 3.: If a school is in an outbreak does it have to automatically close down?

A: No, schools in an outbreak status do not automatically close. If a school is deemed to be in an outbreak, then a Maine CDC COVID Outbreak Investigator will call the school nurse to discuss the specifics of the situation and then call the Superintendent to discuss next steps. The COVID Outbreak Investigator will work with the Superintendent to develop a mitigation plan. If the school is already implementing a multitude of mitigation strategies, such as the ones listed below, then closing the school will probably not be recommended. Ultimately it is a local decision as to whether or not to close a school.

Strategies to Mitigate the Spread of COVID-19

• Universal masking

• Pooled testing

• Physical distancing

• Hand sanitation

• School nurse implementation of recommended guidance and MDOE SOP for Investigation of COVID-19 in Pre-K-12 Schools

• Routine disinfection

Q 4.: Do schools accept home test results?

A: No. At this time the Maine Department of Education and the Maine CDC do not allow schools to accept home test results. Schools can accept either antigen or PCR results but they must be from a certified laboratory or conducted by trained staff from the school.

Q 5.: Why do the guidelines from the Maine CDC and the US CDC differ for length of quarantine and which guidelines do we have to follow?

A: On October 29, 2021, the Maine CDC provided clarifying language related to quarantine requirements that are found in the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for responding to a positive case of COVID-19 in a school setting.

Found on the Maine CDC website, important information for schools includes,

Public health policies, such as quarantine length, are determined by local health authorities and are based on the latest available science from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC). According to the U.S. CDC, “Your local public health authorities make the final decisions about how long quarantine should last, based on local conditions and needs.” In Maine, the “local public health authority” is the Maine CDC.

The Maine CDC’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on the Investigation of COVID-19 in Pre-K-12 Schools sets forth Maine CDC’s recommendations for prevention and management of COVID-19 in school settings. But where a particular public health policy applies generally to everyone in the state, regardless of age or setting, only the Maine CDC may establish the policy (e.g., quarantine or isolation length). For matters that are internal to a school setting, the school system itself may set the guidance. Schools must adhere to Maine CDC’s uniform, statewide quarantine policy.

Q 6.: How do the quarantine rules work that are listed in the Maine CDC’s Standard Operating

A: Procedure (SOP) on the Investigation of COVID-19 in Pre-K-12 Schools, and what are the different exceptions to quarantine?

Determining who has to quarantine and for how long is a two-step process. First, all close contacts to a positive case of COVID-19 must be determined. The close contact definition is: exposure within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes within a 24-hour period or any direct physical contact. In a school setting where there is no assigned seating the whole classroom will be counted as close contacts. When assigned seating is strictly adhered to, close contacts will be identified using the definition above.

Once all close contacts are identified, and they are asymptomatic and have not tested positive for COVID, then quarantine exceptions are determined for each close contact. There are four exceptions to having to quarantine completely for 10 days.

1. Fully Vaccinated Fourteen days after the last dose, any person who has received a complete vaccination for COVID-19 does not need to quarantine from school, work, or community activities if they become a close contact. Nothing changes unless you develop symptoms.

2. Prior COVID Positive Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days does not need to quarantine if they become a close contact.

3. Pooled Testing Anyone who is unvaccinated, but participating in pooled testing at school, is able to stay in school even if they are a close contact. This is true even if the exposure happens in the cafeteria or on the bus, per the Maine CDC and the Maine Department of Education. Pooled testing does not cover activities or exposure outside the school day (i.e. community). Close contacts must quarantine from non-school activities during the 10-day period but can continue to come to school and attend school activities.

4. Universal Masking Because MSAD No. 75 is enforcing universal masking inside the school building, a close contact may be able to stay in school if the exposure happened in the classroom. Universal masking does not apply to the bus or cafeteria. The contact tracer must determine how close a person was to the positive case and for how long to see if the exception is met.

October 2021

Maine's Department of Education Answers to Local Questions and Scenarios (Last updated 10-25-21)

September 2021

Q: If I want my student to participate in pooled testing but want to wait and see how it goes in the school, can I sign up after the program begins?

A: Yes. There will be a rolling enrollment, which means parents can opt their student into the program at any time.

Q: If either a student or a staff member is fully vaccinated and named as a close contact to someone who is infected with COVID-19, what is the procedure?

A: Anyone who is fully vaccinated does not have to quarantine from school, school-related sports or activities, or within the community. It is recommended vaccinated close contacts:

• Get tested on day 3 to 5 from exposure to the infected individual, to rule out an asymptomatic case.

• Watch for development of COVID-19 symptoms and call your healthcare provider if symptoms develop.