News

December 22, 2020

As we shared in our last correspondence on December 11^th, the Manheim Township School District Administration has reviewed The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the PA Department of Health (PADoH) updated guidelines for length of quarantine.

Effective Monday, January 4, MTSD will begin to follow the updated recommendations from the CDC, PADoH, and our local healthcare providers with the following options to a 14-day quarantine if the student or staff member was in close contact with a positive case, but is showing no symptoms:

• Full Quarantine: The safest option is to remain in quarantine for 14 days.
• Shortened Quarantine*: If the close contact has no symptoms during quarantine, the individual may leave quarantine after 10 days. He/she should continue to monitor for symptoms and be very careful about wearing a mask and social distancing for the full 14 days.
  • If the individual had direct contact with a family household member who tested positive, the student must complete the 14-day quarantine. A shortened 10-day quarantine does not apply here.
  • If the individual had contact with a COVID-positive individual who is not a member of his/her household, the student must complete a 10-day self-quarantine and remain symptom-free before returning to school. Monitoring for symptoms must continue on days 11 through 14.

*If the exposure and close contact is a household family member, the shortened quarantine does not apply and the individual must quarantine for the full 14 days. You can read the entire PA Department of Health advisory here.

Travel Restrictions
The Order restricting travel outside of Pennsylvania issued by the PA Department of Health remains in effect until further notice. Students who are over the age of 11 who travel outside of Pennsylvania must self-quarantine for 10 days before returning to school, or obtain a negative COVID test within 72 hours prior to entering Pennsylvania or upon entering Pennsylvania.  If you or your child(ren) is/are advised to quarantine, the district will advise you of the dates for the information provided above.  If your student tests positive for COVID-19, he/she will be advised by a medical professional on their isolation protocols. The purpose of the mandate is to limit travel and contact with those who do not reside in your household. We encourage everyone to be extra cautious during this holiday season. If you host or attend a holiday gathering, please wear a mask when indoors and keep a distance from people not in your household.

Thank you for your patience as we worked through this information to ensure the safety of our students and staff.