Hamilton County Schools offer new quarantine protocols for students

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – The schools and health department have come up with a new quarantine process for local public school students.

They say they have streamlined the process as cases increase again.

Now, a student must quarantine if a Covid-19 investigation finds they are a “close contact.”  That means they have spent 15 minutes within 6 feet of someone who is infected.

The Health Department and school system will then send a letter home explaining the quarantine and when it will be over.

Only then can the student return to class (assuming they don’t have symptoms during the period.)

School age teens accounted for 18.6% of the new cases in Hamilton County last week, which was up 2% from the previous week.

“Because school-age contacts and transmission are increasing in Hamilton County, it is very important that parents abide by the quarantine orders issued by the Health Department,” said Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes, “This also means quarantined students are not allowed to participate in any extracurricular activities, even if they are outside or wearing a mask.”

If you have questions about the quarantine process, call the health department, NOT THE SCHOOLS SYSTEM. The number is 423-209-8383.

Here is the letter:

To the Parent(s) or Guardian of STUDENT,

This message is to notify you that someone within your child’s school family has tested positive for COVID-19. It has been determined that your child was a close contact of that individual. A “close contact” is defined as any person who has been in close proximity with a confirmed COVID-19 case (less than 6 feet) for fifteen minutes or more with an infected person, with or without a mask. Because of privacy laws we cannot share the positive individual’s name.

Due to this exposure it is now required that your child restrict their movements and quarantine for 14 days after this exposure. Restricted movement includes NOT GOING TO ANY areas such as:

The date your child may return to school provided they do not have any symptoms is

You may or may not receive a call from the local or state health department during this quarantine period due to the potential backlog resulting from the rate of new active cases. If you have any questions about the information in this letter, please call the Hamilton County Health Department COVID 19 hotline at 423-209-8383.

It is not necessary to obtain a COVID-19 test for your child unless your child develops symptoms of COVID-19. A negative COVID-19 test does NOT alter this quarantine period, you may not return to school until the end of the quarantine period. While the virus that causes COVID-19 does not cause illness in every person who becomes infected, it is contagious. Your child is at risk of getting sick for up to 14 days after they last had contact with an infected person. If your child or someone in your family becomes ill during this period of quarantine, contact your child’s medical provider for guidance.

If your child’s being in quarantine is a hardship for your family, please contact your school. Student meals are available free of charge to all students, regardless of income. Hamilton County is also distributing free food boxes at its COVID-19 testing site for those who have been tested on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:30AM-1:00PM at Alstom, 1125 Riverfront Pkwy, Chattanooga, TN 37402. We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide additional updates when available.

Sincerely,

PRINCIPAL NAME, SCHOOL NAME

Dr. Bryan Johnson                                                                                         Paul M. Hendricks, MD

Superintendent, Hamilton County Schools                                                      Health Officer

Questions about COVID contact tracing, the quarantine process, or COVID in general should be directed to the Health Department’s hotline (423-209-8383) and not Hamilton County Schools.