The revised public health guidance for schools was released on Tuesday, March 9th. This updated joint guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) prevails in the event that any of it is in conflict with the guidance previously received by IDPH and ISBE. One of the major changes is related to exclusionary COVID-like symptoms. Our updated screening policy is below as well as the exclusionary symptoms:
- The district is still requiring self-certification and verification for all staff, students, and visitors prior to entering school buildings.
- Students must be excluded from attendance if they or anyone in their family are currently exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 such as:
- Fever (Temperature of 100.4 degrees or above)
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle and body aches
- Headache (moderate to severe)
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Students and family members no longer need to isolate if they or a family member exhibit symptoms that include:
- Stomach pain
- Abdominal pain from unknown cause
- Nausea
- Runny nose
- Congestion
- Students exhibiting the above symptoms may still need to be excluded from school if they are not well enough to participate in school activities.
Our Central 301 nurses and administrators are aware of the change to the guidance and we are implementing it immediately. Please contact your building administrator or school nurse if you have questions related to COVID-19 symptoms that require the exclusion of a student from school.
