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October 9, 2020
As of September 29th, new guidelines have been released from the Governor’s office and the Iowa Dept. of Public Health (IDPH), regarding the proper use of face masks and how this may affect quarantine requirements. The guidance states “For non-healthcare, non-residential settings, quarantine is no longer recommended if a potential exposure occurs while BOTH the infectious individual AND the close contacts are wearing face coverings CONSISTENTLY and CORRECTLY.”
Please refer to the attached IDPH graphic, which explains some scenarios that will be considered when public health is determining close contacts to a positive case and the need for quarantine. It includes what qualifies as a proper face covering as well.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Muscatine County Public Health and Muscatine Schools strongly encourage CDC guidelines for masks/face coverings to be followed. Many of our students are utilizing gaiters for primary face coverings. While any face covering is better than no face covering, please know that if your child is using a gaiter or a face shield, they will need to quarantine if exposed to a positive case, and anyone around them would need to quarantine if your student is the positive case.
Read the CDC Guidelines at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html
WHAT CAN YOU DO AT HOME TO HELP YOUR STUDENTS AND OTHER STUDENTS REMAIN SAFEST AT SCHOOL AND IN THE COMMUNITY?
We want to thank you for your assistance and patience as guidance changes. We will continue to communicate guidance from IDPH, CDC, and local public health as it becomes available.
Sincerely,
Muscatine Schools Administrative Team and School Nurses