COVID-19 Letter from Medfield Public School Nurses

COVID-19 Information from School Nurses

"Dear Parents and Guardians,
In light of the recent cases of COVID-19 in the Medfield community, we want to share important information with you. We appreciate the outstanding effort families and staff in Medfield are making to keep our students safe and in school. We can not thank you enough for keeping your students home when they are sick, following advice to get them tested for COVID, and following return to school guidelines after testing, travel or close contact.
At this time, there have been no positive cases related to in-school spread. However, there has been an increase in positive cases, and many identified close contacts in the Medfield community. It is of the utmost importance for all adults and students to stay home and isolate with any symptoms of COVID-19 as well as to always remain at home while waiting for test results.
With the holidays approaching, we’d like to take this opportunity to remind you of the MA COVID-19 travel order. If anyone travels/returns to MA from a red (high risk) state, they must be tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours of arriving in MA. They must receive negative results to return to school. If you are traveling to a red state over the Thanksgiving break, your family will all need to be tested within 72 hours upon return to MA and quarantine at home until you receive negative results. If you have a son/daughter in college in a red state, they need to be tested and stay in quarantine at home until they are negative. Testing for children 10 years and younger, who are traveling with an adult from their household, is not required but recommended.
Here is a Link to the Mass.gov website with more information on which states are high risk and require testing for return to MA. The Gold Standard PCR test is required for return to school.
Here are a few local testing sites for reference: Local Testing Sites Find other sites: COVID-19 Test Site Locator
The following procedures are imperative for the safety and health of our MPS community:
● Maintain physical distancing at all times with members outside of your immediate
family. This means: do not be within 6ft of someone for 15 minutes or greater in a 24 hr
period.
● Masks should be worn at all times when around other people.
● If you are in a car with other people for more than 15 minutes and someone in that car
tests positive up to 48 hours later, you will be considered a close contact and need to quarantine for 14 days. Consider no longer carpooling to sports, events or outings. If you must, keep the distance short (less than a total of 15 minutes in 24 hours), wear masks, and open car windows for increased ventilation.

● Do not host or allow your student to attend indoor parties with other students at any time. While assisting with contact tracing, we learned from the public health nurses that individuals in an enclosed poorly ventilated space such as a basement are all considered close contacts even if they maintained a six-foot distance.
Please review Medfield Public School Covid Guidelines: Family COVID Guidelines Information if you have tested positive for COVID 19: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Quarantine Information if you have been identified as a close contact: If You Are Sick or Caring for Someone,
What can students do during this time while wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing of at least 6 feet?
● Gather outdoors with friends
● Continue with extracurricular activities as allowed such as clubs, theatre, Scouts or
consider starting new club ideas/activities that can meet virtually
● Play sports as allowed
● Hike, walk, bike with friends
● Facetime friends, zoom call with friends
● Outdoor dining while the weather still cooperates
● Video game tournament with friends, virtual board games, virtual trivia
● Exercise, fishing, cooking, arts and crafts
The safety of our community and the ability to continue with in-person learning depends on all of us and how we conduct ourselves in and out of school. We know this is not an easy time for anyone, especially our children. Please reach out to your school nurses at any time with questions or concerns."
Thank you.
SCHOOL NURSE CONTACT INFO:
Memorial: Kim Maguire, RN, BSN:
Wheelock: Aimie Kiegan, RN, BSN:
Dale: Kathy Thompson, RN, MSN, Nurse Leader:
Blake: Tricia Williams, RN, BSN & Arlene O’Donovan-Driscoll RN, MSN:
MHS: Liz Bennett, RN, BSN & Brittany Hardiman, RN, BSN: