West Orange School COVID Update: What To Do If Showing Symptoms?

WEST ORANGE, NJ — As a new school year continues for students and staff in West Orange, so do the district’s COVID-19 precautions.

Superintendent Scott Cascone recently offered an update to the community about several coronavirus-related topics, including busing, testing and travel. He also gave an update about what students should do if they're showing symptoms of COVID-19.

According to Cascone, students with COVID-19 compatible symptoms are defined in NJDOH K-12 school guidance as follows:

• At least two of the following symptoms: fever (measured 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

“Per our district physician and local health authorities, symptomatic students should not return to school unless they have had a negative regular or rapid PCR test,” Cascone said. “It is important to note that a negative rapid antigen test will not be accepted.”

If a symptomatic student is not tested, the student can return after completing a 10-day isolation period since symptom onset. Symptomatic students must be fever free without fever-reducing medications for 24 hours with symptom improvement (in both cases referenced above).

Cascone said the district will continue to conduct contract tracing when an individual tests positive for COVID-19. In the event a close contact is identified through the contact tracing process, administrators will inform parents and guardians if their child is a close contact, and will notify staff as well.

Cascone referenced the most recent K-12 school guidance from the New Jersey Department of Health, which reads: “In the K–12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student (laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) where both the infected student and the exposed student(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time. This exception does not apply to teachers, staff, or other adults in the indoor classroom setting. Students within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student should still monitor for symptoms for 14 days.”

“In such a situation as outlined above in this new guidance, students may not be identified as a close contact if they remain 3 feet apart wearing a well-fitting mask, however, parents/guardians will be notified of potential exposure in order to monitor their child for symptoms,” he stated.

Other updates from the superintendent included:

ACTIVITY BUSING (MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL) – “As explained in a previous district communication, due to the state-wide driver shortages, the third-party company with whom the district contracted for the after school activity buses, for the time being is unable. In spite of making every effort to identify an alternate third-party contractor or private bus company to run these routes, we have been unable to do so as of today. In the interim, it is the district's intention to continue to offer extracurricular, artistic, musical, and athletic activities to both middle school and high school students. The 5:00pm and 6:30pm bus at the high school will continue to service students for now. Any club activities that can be offered virtually will. The district is also exploring the potential of running some activities on weekends with transportation offered from pick up points centralized within the district. We are also exploring the possibility of creating supervised after school study halls where students can remain until the later bus pick-ups occur. We certainly share in the sentiment that this is an unfortunate set of circumstances; but circumstances which at this time are largely out of our control.”

TRAVEL – “Now that the school year has started, it is important to stress the importance of limiting travel to that which is unavoidable (i.e. family emergencies, etc.). This will ensure the overall health and safety of our school community, as well as minimize students from missing instruction during travel and needing to quarantine upon returning from travel.” Read More: Unvaccinated Student In West Orange? Quarantine If You Travel

STUDENT COVID TESTING – “The district has applied and received confirmation of its application to participate in the state department of health end-to-end testing program, this would be available to both students and staff members. In the interim, as it is uncertain as to whether the state would be able to begin this program, the district is finalizing its selection of a partner with which to engage in voluntary opt-in testing for both students and staff. Details regarding this program will be forthcoming in the upcoming weeks.”

FOOD SERVICES – “The menu for next week has been updated with hot food options. Moving forward, food services will be offering a hot option daily which will be served using every precaution and maintaining COVID-19 safety measures. The menu items are subject to change if the item is unavailable at time of order. Food services will make sure it is replaced with another hot option and change the online menu accordingly. Although there is nationwide shortage of food, produce and packaging, Maschio's Food Services is committed to ensuring a hot lunch option will be available daily in all schools. Click here to view the welcome back letter from Maschio’s. The menus are subject to change due to the changing availability of products. Maschio’s is distributing additional cases of water on a monthly basis at the elementary schools.”

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