COVID-19 Protocols

Due to the most recent changes from the Center of Disease Control (CDC) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health concerning COVID-19, the Burlington Nursing Department has adjusted their protocols to align with those recommendations. In short, COVID-19 is a home-managed virus. The CDC recommendations are meant to provide guidance and additional prevention strategies. These strategies are encouraged, but not required by Burlington Public Schools.

Please see the new protocol below. Feel free to reach out to your school nurse with any questions or concerns.

Warmest Regards,
The BPS Nursing Department

BPS STUDENT OR STAFF MEMBER POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

If a student or staff member feels sick, please do the following:
Review the BPS Illness Guidelines If your child or a staff member is not well enough to attend school, they should stay home.
Please consider testing for COVID-19 if the following are present:
   - Fever (100ºF or greater), chills, or shaking chills
   - Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, New loss of taste or smell, or Muscle aches or body aches
   - Cough (not due to other known causes, such as chronic cough).
   - Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
   - Nausea, vomiting, when in combination with other symptoms
   - Headache, when in combination with other symptoms
   - Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
   - Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies), when in           combination with other symptoms
   - If your child or an employee tests positive, please let your building nurse know and contact the school's attendance line. We ask that you inform your school nurse if your child tests positive for all communicable illnesses, like flu and RSV. When in doubt, please reach out to the nurse.
   - Contact your healthcare provider for guidance as there are treatments available for these viruses.

Return to School:
Students and Staff Members need to stay home until they meet both the following criteria:
   - Have improvement in symptoms over 24 hours
   - At least 24 hours has passed with no fever (and without the use of fever-reducing medications such as Tylenol and Motrin)
   - Upon returning to school:
   - The CDC recommends, BPS does not require students and staff members to follow the added prevention strategies listed below when they return to school/normal activities for 5 days. We have provided this chart to make it easier to calculate the days.
- Wear a well fitting mask except when actively eating, drinking or outside

Information below to help you when to mask and when to be mask free:

When Tested or Symptoms Started: Sunday
Mask through: Thursday
Mask Free: Friday

When Tested or Symptoms Started: Monday
Mask through: Friday
Mask Free: Saturday

When Tested or Symptoms Started: Tuesday
Mask through: Saturday
Mask Free: Sunday

When Tested or Symptoms Started: Wednesday
Mask through: Sunday
Mask Free: Monday

When Tested or Symptoms Started: Thursday
Mask through: Monday
Mask Free: Tuesday

When Tested or Symptoms Started: Friday
Mask through: Tuesday
Mask Free: Wednesday

When Tested or Symptoms Started: Saturday
Mask through: Wednesday
Mask Free: Thursday

- Keep their distance from others, especially the elderly and those who are immunocompromised
- Practice good respiratory hygiene
- Wash/hand sanitize their hands frequently