March 25, 2021
Dear Springfield Public Schools Community,
As we move in to Spring Break, we wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with some updates from the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH). On March 23rd, the NJDOH released additional guidance regarding travel and exposure quarantine guidelines. COVID-19 Public Health Recommendations for Local Health Departments for K-12 Schools_
Travelers and residents returning from any U.S. state or territory beyond the immediate region (New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) should self-quarantine at their home, hotel, or other temporary lodging following recommendations from the CDC:
If you are traveling beyond the immediate region noted above, we are currently requiring a 10 day quarantine post-travel. Please continue to self monitor for symptoms during this time frame. This change will also be reflected in our daily health survey.
Please note that this quarantine advisory does not apply to individuals:
- Who are returning to New Jersey after traveling outside of the state for less than 24 hours or those traveling to New Jersey for less than 24 hours - even where travel is less than 24 hours, however, individuals are still discouraged from engaging in non-essential travel to other states to the extent possible.
- Who are in transit through the state to another destination, provided that the time spent in the state is only the amount of time necessary to complete the transit, make use of travel services, such as a highway rest stop, or make necessary travel connections.
Quarantining Updates Regarding Travel:
All travelers should continue to follow all New Jersey and CDC travel recommendations, including the recommendations for testing pre- and post travel and for quarantine post-travel, INCLUDING:
• Individuals who are fully vaccinated, OR
• Persons who clinically recovered from COVID-19 in the past 3 months.
The NJDOH and CDC are currently taking a more conservative approach for quarantine after travel, recommending testing and quarantine for all travelers. This more conservative approach for travelers aims to prevent the spread of variant strains from one area to another and also considers an increased transmission risk associated with traveling, particularly related to social
mixing at travel hubs.
Quarantining Updates for Individuals Identified as a Close Contact of Someone with COVID-19:
The NJDOH and CDC now recommend that persons who clinically recovered from COVID-19 in the past 3 months and those who are fully vaccinated (defined as ≥2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2- dose series, or ≥2 weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine) do NOT need to quarantine after having close contact with someone with COVID-19, as long as they remain asymptomatic. All others will be required to quarantine for the full 14 days.
Level of Community Transmission:
The recommended minimum timeframes for quarantine vary by the level of community transmission:
When there is substantial COVID-19 community spread, defined as Very High (red) or High (orange) on the CALI report (by region), NJDOH recommends quarantine for 14 days to reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 Activity Level Index (CALI) Weekly Reports.
Continue to take these actions to prevent others from contracting COVID-19:
- Avoid crowds and stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arm lengths) from anyone who did not travel with you. It's important to do this everywhere — both indoors and outdoors.
- Wear a mask over your nose and mouth when in public settings. Face coverings are required in indoor public spaces and in outdoor public spaces when social distancing is difficult to maintain.
- If there are people in the household who did not travel with you, wear a mask and ask everyone in the household to wear masks in shared spaces inside your home.
- Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness.
- Watch your health: Look for symptoms of COVID-19.
We appreciate your efforts in keeping our school community safe. Please contact the school nurse if you have any further questions.
Best regards,
Tiffany Boehm
Director of Student Support Services