Hunterdon County is in the Yellow (Moderate level) COVID Activity Level

Please use the link below to communicate a positive or close contact COVID case.

REPORTING POSITIVE or CLOSE CONTACT

click here: Student COVID Reporting Form & CDC 5 day isolation chart & info

March 7, 2022: Mask optional for school and bus: See Dr. Hart's letter & updates on home page

Quarantine update:

Isolation Period

Isolation is used to separate people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 from those without COVID-

19. The majority of COVID-19 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after. Persons who have COVID-19 symptoms should be tested for COVID-19 with a viral test. Everyone who tests positive for COVID-19 infection or who have symptoms of COVID-19 (including those waiting for test results or who haven’t been tested), regardless of vaccination status, should isolate for at least 5 full days (reduced from 10) and take additional precautions during and after isolation. Date of symptom onset or positive test is considered day 0. These additional precautions include wearing a mask, avoiding travel, and avoiding high-risk activities on days 6-10. High risk activities include visiting nursing homes, going to the gym, eating at a restaurant, and other activities that do not permit mask-wearing.

Quarantine Period click here: CDC 5 day isolation chart & info

Quarantine is a strategy used to prevent transmission of COVID-19 by keeping people who have been in

close contact with someone with COVID-19 apart from others. Persons having close contact with someone who is in their isolation period would be considered exposed, should be tested for COVID-19, and may need to quarantine, depending on vaccination status and if recently recovered. During quarantine, exposed cases stay home and away from others for at least 5 days (reduced from 10) after the last close contact with a person who has COVID-19. The date of exposure is considered day 0.

Updated: Quarantine Guidelines

Individuals in the following groups do not need to quarantine. Please notice the first bullet which has been updated by the Department of Health.

• Adults and children 12 years or older who completed a primary series of the COVID-19

vaccine and have received all recommended vaccine doses, including boosters (only if six

months from the primary series).

• Children and adolescents ages 5-11 who completed the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines.

There are no recommendations for booster doses for this age group.

• Persons who had a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the past 90 days.

Finding a Vaccine for your Child

More details can be found at the Department of Health website.

What proof is needed to show a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the past 90 days?

In order to show proof that one has had and recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days, one must submit lab tests confirming the individual’s name and testing date. Availability of lab tests is limited and home tests may be the only option. If this is the case, an at-home test will be accepted if it is accompanied by one of these secondary documents:

• a positive COVID lab test of a household member within 14 days to accompany the home test of the student/child who tested positive with the home test, and/or

• a note from a physician confirming the positive test or making the COVID-19 diagnosis with a date.

Student COVID Reporting Form

Our School Nurses will be collecting COVID positive information from parents. If you need to contact the school to report a positive COVID case of our child, please fill out the Student COVID Reporting Form This will assist us in gathering information and contact tracing. You can also find the Student Covid reporting form on the main district webpage under Covid information.

Today, we ask all parents of currently quarantined or isolated children to recalculate your child’s isolation or quarantine period. If your child is at day 6 or greater in either category (quarantine or isolation), please send your child back to school tomorrow as long as your child’s symptoms are improving and they are fever free. Overall, this adjustment to the quarantine period is good news, as it allows students to return to school earlier.

Please call the attendance line for any absence including a reason. Here is the attendance line # (908) 823-0454 ext. 1.

NJDOH recommends that students and staff with the following symptoms be promptly isolated from others and excluded from school.

• At least two of the following symptoms: fever (measure or subjective), chills, rigors (shivers), myalgia (muscle aches), headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, congestion or runny nose;

OR

• At least one of the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, new olfactory disorder, new taste disorder.

To access the Hunterdon County COVID Dashboard & Testing information , please click Hunterdon Dashboard .

Here is Hunterdon County Department of Health contact # 908-788-1351

Please use the link below to access information regarding COVID Vaccines for children and adults:

Hunterdon County Health Vaccine Information

Here’s the NJ211 info: https://www.nj211.org/coronavirus-covid-19

To access the Hunterdon County COVID Dashboard, please Hunterdon Dashboard .

Hunterdon County Department of Health contact # 908-788-1351 or 908-824-0357

Resources for Testing: The County Health Department continues to provide at-home saliva test kits, and they can be ordered online through the Department’s website. Additionally, testing continues to be available three times per week at the County test site conducted in conjunction with Hunterdon Medical Group in Raritan Township. An appointment is required for this clinic-based test site, but the appointment and test are free of charge.

Information on both of these testing options are available on the County website, and please share these options with parents and staff

click here: Hunterdon County Covid testing site Free testing: Free covid testing NJ

Update: Please send in Covid vaccination records if you choose to get your child vaccinated it may shorten Quarantine timeframe if considered a close contact.

If you have proof of disease within 90 days of exposure; you may be exempt from quarantine. Proof of disease must be provided to the health office.

Also if vaccinated please let the nurse know since this may change the quarantine, proof of vaccination (2 wks after 2nd vaccine; immediate after booster) would need to be provided