Due to the recent rise of COVID-19 cases in the area, Longview ISD is releasing updated protocols to address the health and safety of our students, employees, and community.
Longview ISD will follow all state and federal requirements, rely on local health experts for guidance in decision-making, and adopt reasonable practices while maintaining an effective learning environment.
Of course, as with everything else related to this ongoing global pandemic: all our decisions are subject to change based on daily guidance from federal, state, and local authorities.
Response to COVID-19
Symptomatic Individuals
- Individuals who have symptoms such as: (fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and/or diarrhea) should stay home and seek medical guidance.
- Students with symptoms will be sent to the campus nurse. The nurse will determine if the student should be sent home. Students will isolate until picked up by parent. Parents should pick up children ASAP.
- Obtain a medical professional’s note clearing student to return.
Individuals that are Positive
- Quarantine & Isolation
- You should quarantine when you might have been exposed to the virus.
- You should isolate when you have been infected with the virus, even if you don’t have symptoms.
- People who are fully vaccinated need to quarantine after contact with someone who has COVID-19. Fully vaccinated people should get tested 5 days after their exposure even if they don’t have symptoms. If they receive a negative test after 5 days then the person should monitor their health for the next 14 days.
- You may be able to shorten your quarantine if you receive a negative test 5 days after exposure. You must remain quarantine for 10 days without testing.
- You may be able to shorten your quarantine if you receive a negative test 5 days after exposure. You must remain quarantine for 10 days without testing.
- Isolation is used to separate people infected with COVID-19 from those who are not infected. People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others. At home, anyone sick or infected should separate from others, stay in a specific “sick room” or area, and use separate bathroom (if available).
- Longview ISD will follow the Gregg County Health Department’s guidelines along with the CDC.
- Virtual instruction may not be an option for this school year.
Returning to Work/School Protocols
- In the event that a Longview ISD teacher, staff, student or other campus visitor is lab-confirmed positive for COVID-19, they must stay home throughout the infection period.
- Individuals who are confirmed to have COVID-19 will not be allowed to return to work/school as specified below:
- Confirmed or Unconfirmed COVID-19 with Symptoms:
- At least 10 days have passed since their symptom onset and
- 24 hours without fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
- Other symptoms have improved
- Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation
- Confirmed COVID-19 without Symptoms:
- 10 days have passed since positive test sample was taken
- If any individual has tested positive for COVID-19 and believes the test was a false positive, and wants to return to school before completing the above stay at home period, the individual must either:
- Obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis, though for health privacy reasons the note does not need to indicate what the alternative diagnosis is, or
- Obtain two PCR acute infection tests (at a physician’s office or campus tests) at least 24 hours apart that come back negative for COVID-19.
- Any individual whether vaccinated or not that come into contact with a lab-confirmed positive person should quarantine for 10 days. If an individual has been fully vaccinated they may test out and return to school or work after 5 days with a negative PCR test preferably, but Dr. Brown said that the BinaxNOW can suffice due to time for PCR results.
- Any un-vaccinated individual may test out with a negative test after 7 days.
- Confirmed or Unconfirmed COVID-19 with Symptoms:
Any employee who has questions concerning protocol, leave, benefits etc. should contact Kristie Womack at 903-381-2374.
Any student who has questions concerning protocol, number of days to quarantine, testing etc. should contact your school nurse or Mrs. Kimberly Dans at 903-663-7191.