DCSD Covid-19 Omicron Updates
Written by Kathryn Golding
January 28, 2022
“Two weeks,” they said. It was supposed to be over in two weeks, but with the start of 2022, we're entering our third year of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the cases first started rising and students joked about licking door knobs to “take one for the team,” DCSD made slow changes to address the concern of COVID-19 in schools, starting with the cancellation of after school sports. After spring break, DCSD schools were closed for the remainder of the 2020 spring semester. In the following school year, a hybrid model was introduced to keep students in school longer. This year, while the district and the schools are trying hard to stay open and perform as usual, changes to prevent COVID are making a slow comeback.
Just this month, the US hit a new global record for the amount of COVID-19 cases recorded in a day. One million positive tests in a 24-hour period. Omicron, the new variant of the virus, is very infectious, and cases have risen dramatically since the variant was first spotted in the US. As COVID-19 becomes more infectious, it’s hard to find the resources to keep schools open. Douglas County School District just recently updated COVID-19 protocols in response to the new variant, which has been causing a rapid increase in cases.
Although masks and vaccines will not be required for students in most situations, it appears quarantines and remote learning are making a possible comeback. In DCSD’s recent announcement, that was posted on December 31, 2021, teachers and a significant number of students falling ill with the virus may cause individual schools to turn to remote learning for five days or more this semester. Just a few days ago, DCSD began exploring more remote learning options should classrooms or schools have to move online temporarily.
January 4, 2022, the day before students returned from winter break, an alert strongly encouraging all students to test negative before returning to school was sent out. COVID-19 was not nearly as bad as finals week commenced. Cases started to rise dramatically in the last days of winter break, prompting a change of plans for the school district. According to KDVR, a news network, DCSD’s recent meeting was to “prepare to shift classrooms and or schools to short periods of remote learning in the case of significant operational impacts” (Kruegel 2022, para. 8).
Just as it did in March of 2020, DCSD is considering temporarily suspending after school activities if quarantined staff cannot find substitute teachers, another difficulty that’s being noticed statewide. DCSD school board data shows that “an average of 357 Douglas County teachers have called out sick over the past week, leaving 16% of classrooms unfilled with substitutes” (Kruegel 2022, para. 9). If a staff member at school tests positive or experiences symptoms of COVID, they will have to stay home and isolate for five days according to the change in CDC guidelines. Instead of isolating for ten days, the CDC says those who are infected only need to isolate for five days. In a time when substitute teachers are scarce, remote learning may become necessary for education to continue.
While we navigate the rough sea of COVID-19, DCSD is reminding students to practice good habits, such as washing hands frequently and staying home when sick. In most cases, it’s up to the student to decide whether or not to wear a mask, though the school district still encourages it. To protect others with health conditions or after returning from home after having COVID-19, students may have to wear a mask. Students who test positive must stay at home for five days and wear masks for five days after they return to school to further prevent the spread of the virus. DCSD recommends that students who are showing symptoms should stay home until they feel better.
The district also wants unvaccinated students to consider getting vaccinated, although this is left up to the student. Vaccinated individuals who are exposed to the virus will not have to get tested as often as those who don’t when the school is in an outbreak. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment defines an outbreak as “five or more confirmed or probable cases in a facility or group with onset in a 14-day period.” The Tri-County Health Department determines the outbreak status.
Despite all the challenges, the district is trying hard to satisfy everyone, keeping students in school while not requiring them to get vaccinated nor wear masks. While the new protocols may mean that schools have to go online for a short period of time, that decision was made to ensure the safety of students and preserve their quality of education.
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