Department of Elementary & Secondary Education and Department of Public Health

Frequently Asked Questions, Week of December 6, 2021

1. When do children need to undergo testing following vaccination if they develop symptoms including fever, headache, fatigue, chills, and body aches, which are common after COVID-19 vaccination?

Provided that temperature is below 100.0°F degrees and there are no known exposures to COVID-19, mild-to-moderate symptoms including fever, headache, fatigue, chills, and body aches that begin after vaccination and fully resolve within 48 hours after vaccination do not require SARS-CoV-2 testing prior to return to school. For mild symptoms that occur during this time frame at school, rapid antigen testing is still encouraged.

2. What happens if the 7^th day of Test and Stay falls over an extended break (e.g., long weekend, vacation, holiday break)?

The duration of the Test and Stay program is 7 days from the date of exposure. Some of these days could be non-school days (i.e., weekends or holidays). Testing is only required on school days unless the individual participates in school-sponsored sports or extracurricular activities that fall on a non-school day. If the 7th day falls over an extended break (e.g., long weekend, vacation, holiday break), the individual must be tested on the morning of their return to school so long as the first day back is within 10 days of the date of exposure. If the first day back to school following an extended break is day 11 or later from the date of exposure, the individual does not need to be tested upon return to school provided that they have not experienced any symptoms, as aligned to Protocol B-3.

Department of Elementary & Secondary Education and Department of Public Health

Frequently Asked Questions, Week of October 25, 2021

1. As holidays approach, can schools require a negative COVID-19 test prior to a student’s return to school?

No. Testing cannot be required for a student’s return to school after holidays or vacations. Individuals are encouraged follow the recommended travel guidelines set by the CDC.

2. If a student is a close contact quarantining at home, should they receive a daily visual (i.e., over Zoom or Google Classroom) check in?

Yes. Schools are strongly encouraged to do a daily visual check in with students who are quarantining at home, if they are not eligible for the Test and Stay program or choose not to participate in the Test and Stay Program.

3. Should schools include asymptomatic, fully vaccinated individuals in the Test and Stay Program?

No. Schools may not test asymptomatic, fully vaccinated individuals as part of the Test and Stay Program. As a reminder, the following categories are exempt from testing and quarantine protocols, as outlined in the Protocols for Responding to COVID-19.

• Asymptomatic, fully vaccinated individuals

• Classroom close contacts: An individual who is exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual in the classroom while both individuals were masked, so long as the individuals were spaced at least 3 feet apart.

• Bus close contacts: An individual who is exposed to COVID-19 positive individual on the bus, while individuals are masked and windows are open

• Close contacts who have had COVID-19 within the past 90 days: An individual who has been previously diagnosed with COVID-19 and then becomes a close contact of someone with COVID-19 if

i. The exposure occurred within 90 days of the onset of their illness AND

ii. the exposed individual is recovered and remains asymptomatic

Department of Elementary & Secondary Education and Department of Public Health

Frequently Asked Questions, Week of October 12, 2021

1. Can individuals who are unable to wear a mask due to medical or behavioral issues participate in Test and Stay?

Yes, provided that staff supporting such students employ the additional safety precautions described below (Appendix A).

2. When individuals are participating in the Test and Stay program, do they have to wear masks when outdoors?

Yes. Individuals who are in the Test and Stay program must wear masks at all times, unless they are eating or drinking, including when outdoors.

3. For the Test and Stay program, is there a specific time of day that the tests need to occur?

Schools are encouraged to conduct Test and Stay testing the first day of the school week and as early in the day as possible, but there is not a specific deadline for testing. On Tuesday through Friday, there is a not a recommended testing time, as long as individuals in the program are tested daily.

4. If a provider clears a symptomatic individual to return to school due to an alternative diagnosis, can they return to school without a PCR test?

Yes. As outlined in Protocol C-1 of the Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios in SY 2021-22, individuals may return to school after having COVID-19-like symptoms so long as the individual is not a close contact and a medical professional makes an alternative diagnosis for the COVID-19-like symptoms, after they have improvement and symptoms and have been without fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.

If an individual has received an alternative diagnosis for the COVID-19-like symptoms (e.g., allergies) from a medical professional, then a negative PCR test is not needed to return to school as long as the individual is not a close contact.

5. Is the Test and Stay program available to both students and staff?

Yes. Both students and staff may participate in the Test and Stay program.

6. When can at-home, over the counter tests be used as part of the Protocols for Responding to COVID-19?

At-home, over the counter tests can be used to positively identify an individual who has COVID-19, whether or not the administration of the over the counter test is supervised by a medical professional. It is recommended that an at-home positive test be followed by a PCR test, but an individual should follow Protocol A if they test positive through an at-home, over the counter test.

If someone is testing to exit quarantine after being identified as a close contact, they can only use an official test. An official test is a PCR or antigen test that is done at a lab, a health care facility, or a proctored (observed online) home test whose results are automatically and electronically reported to public health.

7. As the weather grows colder, how should districts communicate with families about ventilation on buses?

Schools are strongly encouraged to keep bus windows open whenever feasible to increase ventilation on buses. DESE encourages districts to communicate with their school community that increasing outside air will affect the temperatures on buses. Districts should encourage families and caregivers to send their students to school with plenty of warm layers in fall and winter, as bus temperatures could fluctuate throughout the day.

8. The Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios refers to mild symptoms. What symptoms are considered mild?

Mild symptoms: This refers to any single (isolated) symptom on the list below if the symptom is also mild. If a symptom is severe (based on the clinical judgement of school health professionals), even if isolated, then it should not be considered a mild symptom.

• • • • Cough

      • Sore throat

      • Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

      • Headache

      • Fatigue

      • Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies)

Appendix A

Additional Precautions for Staff Supporting Students Who Cannot Wear Masks

Some students cannot wear masks for medical or behavioral reasons and, like any other students, they might be identified as close contacts who can participate in Test and Stay. When this happens, the staff members who interact with such students should follow the guidelines that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes for “direct service providers”. Direct service providers include educators, personal care attendants, paraprofessionals, therapists, related services personnel, assistants, school nurses, health office staff, and any other staff who must interact closely with students who cannot wear masks while participating in Test and Stay.

Direct service providers are essential for the health and well-being of the students they serve. Direct service providers should be aware of and trained on how COVID-19 spreads, risk factors, and prevention actions. Additional preventive measures may need to be taken depending on the activity and the risk level of that activity. Below, please find additional information on the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for direct service providers:

Department of Elementary & Secondary Education and Department of Public Health

Frequently Asked Questions, Week of September 20, 2021

1. What is DESE’s guidance on appropriate mask wearing?

At this time, per DESE’s Implementation of Mask Requirement document, all individuals in schools - including vaccinated individuals – must wear masks.[1] Individuals’ masks must completely cover their nose and mouth and fit snugly against the sides of their face without gaps. The CDC has published additional helpful guidelines on proper mask wearing, including emphasizing that individuals should not choose masks that have any holes or vents, such as those for exhalation, which allow the virus particles to escape.

2. Are individuals considered close contacts if they were exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual while outdoors?

No. As a reminder, the Department of Public Health has updated its definition of a close contact to focus on contact that occurs when indoors. As a result, exposure time outdoors does not count towards the time-based close contact definition. Only time spent indoors should be considered for the purposes of identifying close contacts for students and staff.

Close contacts are individuals who have been within 6 feet of a COVID-19 positive individual while indoors, for at least 15 minutes cumulatively during a 24-hour period. Please note that the at-risk exposure time begins 48 hours prior to symptom onset (or time of positive test if asymptomatic) and continues until the time the COVID-19 positive individual is isolated.

3. If individuals are exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual outside of school, can they participate in Test and Stay?

No. At this time, Test and Stay is intended for in-school close contacts only. Unvaccinated close contacts that were exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual in their household (such as siblings) or other non-school setting, must quarantine at home per DPH/DESE’s Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios – SY 2021-22 document. As a reminder, vaccinated close contacts are exempt from quarantine protocols and do not participate in Test and Stay.

4. What COVID-19 protocols should students at vocational/technical schools follow at their external internships and co-ops?

Students should follow the COVID-19 requirements as specified by the external placement site. If students do not wish to comply with their assigned placement site’s requirements, vocational / technical schools are not required to find them an alternative placement.

5. May individuals remove their masks when students are receiving speech and language services?

Masks should be worn during speech and language services, with clear face masks preferred. If students are unable to effectively receive services while individuals are wearing a cloth mask and the school does not have access to clear face masks, a face shield may be worn. Individuals should maintain distance as feasible whenever masks are removed.

6. Has DESE/DPH changed the definition of a close contact in the recent Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios – SY 2021-22 document?

No. The definition of a close contact has not changed from DESE’s guidance at the end of last school year and continues to align with MA DPH guidelines on close contacts. In some cases, the quarantine protocols required for close contacts have changed and are outlined in the Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios – SY 2021-22 document. As a reminder, asymptomatic vaccinated individuals do not need to follow quarantine protocols. However, any close contact should be monitoring for symptoms for 14 days.

7. Can symptomatic individuals participate in Test and Stay?

No. Symptomatic individuals (as defined on page 3 of the Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios – SY2021-22 document) cannot participate in Test and Stay.

However, if a close contact has symptoms and the symptoms resolve prior to day 7, they may return to school and participate in the Test and Stay program after receiving a negative PCR test. Please refer to page 4 of the Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios – SY2021-22 to see which individuals are exempted from Test and Stay and other quarantine protocols.

If symptoms (as defined on page 3) arise while an individual is participating in Test and Stay, they should go home and isolate until symptoms resolve. Please note that symptom resolution is defined as having improvement in symptoms and having been without fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.

8. When individuals participating in Test and Stay are not in school, are they required to quarantine?

In alignment with DPH guidance, individuals participating in Test and Stay should stay home and quarantine whenever they are not in school settings, for the duration of the Test and Stay period. As a reminder, as noted on page 6 of the Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios - SY 2021-22 document, individuals can participate in school activities on the weekends and after school if they continue to test on those days and follow the other Test and Stay protocols.

9. Can individuals participating in Test and Stay ride the bus?

Yes. Individuals participating in Test and Stay can participate in all school setting activities, including riding the bus. They must remain masked unless eating or drinking and maintain 3’ of distancing as feasible.

10. What kinds of tests are acceptable for the different quarantine protocols?

The COVID test required in Protocol A or B-2 can be a PCR or a rapid antigen test. Any proctored rapid antigen test (including tests administered at home with online observation) whose results are automatically and electronically reported to public health is acceptable.

To participate in the Test and Stay Program, only BinaxNOW tests may be used.

To return to school after symptom resolution in Protocol C, a PCR test is required.

Note: Nucleic acid amplification (NAAT) tests are a type of PCR test. Therefore, individuals may take a NAAT test whenever a PCR test is accepted.

11. What is the primary resource I should review to understand the protocols?

The Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios – SY 2021-22 is the primary source on the DPH/DESE protocols for this school year. There is also a high-level flowchart that provides a visual summary of the core protocol components, but the protocol document is the primary and comprehensive resource for district and school staff.