School Board Updates COVID Protocols

By Travis Volz

In an emergency meeting held last Thursday, the West Washington County Unit District 10 School Board approved new protocols for loosening isolation guidelines for students exposed to COVID.

The meeting, which was attended by more than two dozen members of the community, was called in order to implement the changes as soon as possible instead of waiting for the regular meeting at the end of the month.

Test to Stay Plan Discussed

Under the new Test to Stay Plan, students or staff who are identified as an unvaccinated close contacts of an infected person have the option of remaining in school rather than isolating at home for ten days in certain circumstances.

Close contacts would be required to be tested by school nurse Melinda Albers or superintendent Keith Senior, who are trained to administer the tests. Testing would only be done on students with parental permission.

Those who choose this option will be tested twice in a seven-day period, once within one to three days of the contact and again between days five and seven of the contact.

Read the full story in this week’s issue