Tylers comments come after mask policies throughout the nation have come under fire by angry parents and politicians creating a polarizing environment over their use during the pandemic. It is very important that persons who have COVID-19 isolate for a minimum of 5 days away from members of their household, use a separate bathroom, not prepare food, use disposable utensils, and wear a well-fitting mask if they have to go into common areas of the house. Children ages 12 and up are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but some are requiring masking regardless of vaccination status for both faculty and students after the Centers for Disease. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Follow new cases found each day and the number of cases and deaths in Baldwin County, Alabama. Schools have had to temporarily close because the highly contagious variant is sweeping through counties and filling up hospitals. In accordance with the Georgia Department of Public Health, the school district will work diligently to ensure that proper guidelines are followed to isolate the student/staff diagnosed with COVID-19, identify close contacts and disinfect areas of the school when notified of a positive case. CDC has not changed mask guidance, at this time, and continues to allow a well fitted mask of tightly woven breathable material, such as cotton fabric, consistently and correctly worn over the nose and mouth. Padgett says her children didnt have the option to do lessons online and werent given hotspots or laptops, though other schools in their Mississippi district transitioned to virtual learning. Well-trained math and science teachers are eligible to receive up to $15,000 in additional pay, if they decide to teach inside schools considered hard-to-staff. School nurses no longer need to report these to public health unless they personally administer or proctor a COVID-19 test. A Back-to-School Extravaganza will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at . Keeping all educators, staff, and students in school buildings safe and healthy is a top priority. Many are also covering for fellow staff members who have to quarantine and isolate., She added, Teaching is always a challenging job, but dealing with COVID and COVID protocols has made it exponentially harder. Preventing and controlling COVID-19 in ECE programs poses unique challenges due to the nature of caring for infants and young children, which necessarily involves close contact between children and their caregivers. Some schools are offering quarantining students live virtual instruction. COVID-19 Therapeutics for Healthcare Providers, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), COVID-19 Resources for Healthcare Facilities, Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19, Stay Up to Date with Your COVID-19 Vaccines, Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools, Revised COVID-19 Exposure and Isolation GuidanceforGeneral Population/Non-Healthcare, Creating Healthy Indoor Air Quality in Schools, Ending Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19: Interim Guidance, School nurses should continue to report school COVID-19 outbreaks and outbreaks of any kind using the. My goal is to make sure we can keep schools open, so please help me by working together.. endstream endobj 233 0 obj <>/Metadata 5 0 R/PageLabels 228 0 R/Pages 230 0 R/PieceInfo<>>>/StructTreeRoot 9 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 234 0 obj <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]>>/Rotate 90/StructParents 0/Type/Page>> endobj 235 0 obj <>stream In August, 2022, DPI published updated guidance for K-12 schools, titled COVID-19 Infection Control and Mitigation Measures for Wisconsin Schools 2022/2023. Last week, the state reported 10,807 new cases, up 14% from the 9,467 cases disclosed over the previous seven-day period. Day zero is the day the person tests positive or first has COVID-19 symptoms and day 1 is the first day after the beginning of symptoms or, if asymptomatic, the specimen was collected. The following people should be excluded from in-person instruction and activities: Students or staff who come to school or an ECE program with symptoms or develop symptoms while at school or an ECE program should be asked to wear a well-fitting mask or respirator while in the building and be sent home and encouraged to get tested if testing is unavailable at the facility. Students at Midway Hills Primary School arrived excited to start a new year. Soon after, that got extended when Padgett herself tested positive for COVID. If a bonus is offered, Id never suggest anyone to decline the offer, said Elfriede Marsh, the AEA Uniserv District director who represents nine school systems in the Wiregrass. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice and European users agree to the data transfer policy. Some of the late holdouts offered bonuses after New Years Day, such as the Mobile County Public School System, which approved $1,200 bonuses to full-time staff in March. The teams arrival to Baldwin County marked the first time the federal government dispatched a healthcare team to assist an Alabama hospital during the pandemic. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. However, schools and ECE programs may consider implementing screening testing in response to an outbreaks. In Baldwin County, a Back-to-School will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Thomas Fitness Center in Fairhope. The community level of Covid-19 in Baldwin County is low based on cases and hospitalizations, according to the most recent update from the C.D.C. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS See information about ongoing household exposure. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University, said that quarantining should be relatively rare at schools following the CDCs guidance, which also includes universal masking. We could have closed a few schools. Additionally, close contacts should get tested for COVID-19 at least 5 days after their last exposure. If that trend continues, the superintendent said that she may recommend that students and staff wear masks inside schools rather than require them after the Thanksgiving break. Dan Goldhaber, director of the Center for Education Data & Research and professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Washington, said the extra compensation helps a school system in retaining teachers, but not necessarily as a tool to attract new employees. The resources on this page aim to help decision-makers plan, prepare, and respond to COVID-19 in K-12 schools. Baldwin Community Schools in Lake County announced on its Facebook page Wednesday that "many students are being quarantined with primarily flu-like symptoms.". In other news, Charles Lee, assistant superintendent for general administration, provided an update on the number of covid-19 cases . For more information and support, visit the U.S. Department of Educations Disability Rights webpage. federal government dispatched a healthcare team to assist an Alabama hospital during the pandemic. Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler, in a letter to parents on Thursday, said that COVID-19 numbers have been going in the wrong direction for the districts schools to warrant rescinding a mask mandate policy that was put into place in late July. Stolen concrete truck leads to 60-mile chase along I-20, Former Wilco jail administrator indicted by grand jury, Employee helps makes cables used in his own rob, Owners passion for fashion fuels Js Fashion & More, CHILDRE, Phillip Ernest "Erny" Sep 16, 1961 - Jan 29, 2023, Trojan baseball looking for another long season, Shoplifting case leads to womans arrest on drug charge, Alex Murdaugh gets life in prison in murder of wife, son, Upcoming youth science fair at GCSU in need of judges. Promote proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. DHS recommends everyone ages 2 years and older, regardless of vaccination status, should wear a well-fitting mask in the following situations and settings: Children and staff that are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe illness are encouraged to talk to a doctor about the need to wear a well-fitting mask or respirator at school. During COVID, we established a policy with a 10-day mandatory absence. l^DR,{.f*5dHrea 9sF 'XpP*"#E).7/L?&I0HP9$+8\HQlW$c`5LeQ1MmZ p#.CG>zv7#Rx.`>|d(C'CQ@uf` =#*" Starting Thursday through Sept. 6, students and staff wear a cloth mask over their nose and mouth while indoors at Round Elementary, superintendent Chuck Hughes said in a statement. For additional information, visit. Baldwin County School Board meeting, August 19, 2021. As COVID cases continue to spike across Middle Georgia, Baldwin County School District announced a new mask requirement that goes into effect Aug. 11. It is the policy of the Board of Education to comply fully with the requirements of Title IX, Section 504 of the . Schools and ECE programs should implement everyday strategies to prevent the spread of a variety of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Students at Magnolia Elementary School in Trussville wear masks as they are greeted by staff and teachers on the first day of school in 2020. And her kindergartener was given worksheets that asked him to write his name and numbers skills he hasnt learned yet. A survey of 100 large districts plans that Dusseault conducted found that many districts have more stringent quarantine rules than the CDC recommends. We look forward to hearing from you! He said that President Joe Bidens announcement late last week requiring employers with more than 100 employees to ensure their employees get vaccinated or tested weekly. COVID-19 vaccine further strengthens the immune response and helps the immune system fight off infection and keeps people from severe disease and out of hospitals. The downward trend in COVID-19 cases may create a change in the Baldwin County School Districts (BCSD) masking policy in the coming weeks. She said she felt that Baldwin County School leaders were reviewing the logistics of providing the leave to employees. At least 129 children in Alabama have developed Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome of Childhood (MIS-C). It is the policy of the Board of Education to comply fully with the requirements of Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act and all accompanying regulations. Surgical masks are a very good option due to layers and better filtering. This pages tracks the history of coronavirus cases in Baldwin County, both recent andall-time. "We have several students who have tested positive due to outside exposure, but enough that we feel it necessary to take this precaution instead of shutting down the building," Hughes said. This school policy has always been subject to a doctor's note which could prescribe more or less time away from. CDC data that tracked Pfizer vaccine trial participants for 100 days after their boosters suggests that positive effects of the shot may start as soon as seven days after getting boosted. Other schools are not anticipating a second round of bonuses that are paid for out of local funds, though some school board members hope their administrators consider it. Published: Sep. 03, 2021, 4:38 p.m. 21. The new rule requires students, staff and . The BCSD COVID-19 Weekly Status Report will summarize the new positive cases each week within the student population who are attending school in-person as well as in the population of staff members who are working in-person at our schools or in the district office. The Baldwin County School Board holds a public hearing into the school district's COVID-19 protocols including a mask mandate on Thursday, August 19, 2021, in Loxley, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). It was only her sons third day of kindergarten when Sabrina Padgett got a call in late July that hed been exposed to COVID and had to stay home for over a week. The school district is funding the extended leave program itself and budgeted $25,000 in additional costs out of the General Fund to maintain the program, according to Michelle Eller, the districts superintendent. Call 211 or 877-947-2211 to get referrals for thousands of services across Wisconsin. At Sylacauga City Schools, 21 employees, or 7% of the 287 employees eligible for the leave, have utilized the extra 10 days since it was first offered retroactive to June 1. School officials say less than 1% of the entire county student population is out under COVID-19 absence protocols. In many of the conversations I am having with our educators, the absence of additional COVID leave days seem to be the biggest concern they have, said Nichole King, AEA Uniserv director for the district representing Baldwin County and Gulf Shores city schools. Symptomatic people who cannot wear a mask should be separated from others as much as possible; children should be supervised by a designated caregiver who is wearing a well-fitting mask or respirator until they leave the facility. It is important to reduce the risk of children developing communicable diseases, including influenza and COVID-19, as previously healthy children can become very ill, require hospitalizations, and die from both these illnesses. For more information, please contact the Programs DirectorAngela Sullivan, Ph.D., at covidALK12@uab.edu or visit COVID Testing in Alabama K12 Schools. The Baldwin County School System includes 44 schools and over 31,000 students. The mask issue comes as hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise in Alabama over the latest surge of delta variant. This is why CDC recommends mask use for 10 days, even with shortened isolation or quarantine. The district is also hiring 10 part-time teachers to host live video sessions for elementary schoolers stuck at home and plans to contract with a virtual tutoring company to help older students. Schools with students at risk for getting very sick with COVID-19must make reasonable modifications when necessary to ensure that all students, including those with disabilities, are able to access in-person learning. Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education was updated on May 27, 2022, and can be found on the CDC Website. Parents have been advised that teachers can send assignments home with students as with any illness, though some teachers may also stream or record audio of their lessons. Alabama, like many states, had a teacher shortage in many disciplines before the pandemic. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. How is Baldwin County faring against COVID-19, both overall and at a state level? One of Alabamas largest school districts will continue with its mask mandate policy for another two weeks beyond Labor Day weekend. The latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say masked students should be partially exempt from typical quarantine rules. To ensure our parents, staff and community members are provided with the most recent and accurate information, the Baldwin County School District will publish weekly COVID-19 status reports each Friday. South Baldwin Regional Medical Center in Foley was the first in the state to receive assistance from a team of physicians and nurses staffed by the federal government. Both schools offered extraordinary compensation for teachers and staff last year ahead of the holidays. For at least 10 days after developing symptoms or testing positive for COVID-19. Official websites use .gov A Morning Consult/Politico poll from last month showed nearly all Democrats and a majority of Independents polled support face masks, while a majority of Republicans do not. In New York City, fully vaccinated students and staff wont have to quarantine after a COVID exposure as long as they dont show symptoms. When community levels of COVID 19 are high, CDC and ADPH recommend school-wide masking for all students, teachers, and staff to reduce transmission of COVID-19. In states like Mississippi, where case rates are among the highest in the country and many students lack access to home internet and devices, the situation is particularly fraught. A confirmed outbreak of COVID-19 is defined as three or more confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 identified in the facility who meet the criteria for a facility-associated case, with onset dates or positive test results within 14 days of each other, who were not identified as close contacts of each other in another setting (i.e., household), AND are epidemiologically linked in the facility setting or a school setting-sanctioned extracurricular activity.