COVID-19 FAQ

What are the COVID-19 quarantine and return-to-campus protocols for day students this year?

St. Stephen's has established a number of COVID-19 quarantine and return-to-campus protocols for day students this year.
Last Updated: October 28, 2020


14-Day Self-Quarantine at Home:
Before day students arrive at St. Stephen's, we ask that they self-quarantine for 14 days at home. By self-quarantine, we mean limiting exposure to anyone who does not typically live in your home, wearing a face mask around non-family members, avoiding crowds/gatherings and other public facilities/establishments, and limiting unnecessary travel. During those 14 days, we ask parents to check their child's temperature and screen for COVID-19 Symptoms daily: 

  • A measured temperature greater than or equal to 100 degrees or feeling feverish
  • Chills 
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

If a fever or symptoms are present during the quarantine time, please consult with a healthcare provider and provide a letter to the St. Stephen’s Health Center that confirms the student is free from infectious disease before coming to campus. 

Quarantine for Close Contact with Individuals Exhibiting COVID-19 Symptoms:
If a student comes in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19 or is in close contact with someone who exhibits symptoms consistent with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis (e.g. an individual yet to be tested or waiting on results), the student must remain off campus until a 14-day incubation period has passed. On Wednesday, Oct. 21, the CDC issued a new definition of close contact as part of its overall COVID-19 guidelines. Close contact is now defined as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated. This kind of close physical contact can create direct exposure to infectious secretions. 

If anyone in the student’s household has been in close contact with individuals who test positive for COVID 19 or is in close contact with someone who exhibits symptoms consistent with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, a parent/guardian of the student is obligated immediately to inform St. Stephen’s Director of Health Services, Gretchen Inman (ginman@sstx.org), so the school can decide if the student needs to isolate for 14 days and communicate with anyone who may have been exposed.

If Symptoms Appear On Campus
If a day student exhibits symptoms on campus, including having a fever, feeling feverish or experiencing coughing or shortness of breath, the school will contact the student’s parents and request that they pick up their child from school. Due to the complex and evolving information about COVID-19 testing, we recommend that day students exhibiting symptoms should seek guidance from a medical provider to evaluate their symptoms and determine if testing is needed.
 
Return to Campus Guidelines
 
Day students confirmed or showing symptoms of having COVID-19
Any day students who themselves either: (a) are lab-confirmed to have COVID-19; or (b) experience the symptoms of COVID-19 (listed above) must stay at home throughout the infection period, and cannot return to campus until the school screens the student to determine if the below conditions for campus re-entry have been met: 
 
In the case of a day student who was diagnosed with COVID-19, the student may return to campus when all three of the following criteria are met: 
  1. At least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery (resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, i.e. Tylenol or Ibuprofen); and 
  2. The student has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and
  3. At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. 
In the case of a day student who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and does not get evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, the student is assumed to have COVID-19, and he/she/they may not return to campus until they have completed the same three-step criteria listed above. 
 
If the day student has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to campus before completing the above self-isolation period, the student must either: (a) obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis and a negative PCR test, OR (b) receive two separate PCR confirmations at least 24 hours apart that they are free of COVID via acute infection tests at an approved COVID-19 testing location found at https://tdem.texas.gov/covid-19/.
 
Day students who travel outside the Austin area during the school year
Day students who plan to travel on public transportation during the school year (e.g. airplane, bus, train, taxi, rideshare, cruise) or are unable to practice safety guidelines while on break/vacation (including physical distancing and wearing a mask) should consult with the Health Center before returning to campus.

Individuals who travel via public transport (e.g., airplanes and buses) should always plan to follow safety guidelines to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. After completion of the travel and before returning to school, individuals will be required to: 1) quarantine for 14 days, or 2) combine a one-week quarantine with surveillance testing; this involves obtaining a PCR test on day 5 and 7 (or as close to that timeline as practical). The quarantine will end no sooner than 7 days and after a second negative test is received. 

There may be additional events in which individuals may encounter risks for exposure to COVID-19. In these cases, individuals will be required to follow the above quarantine and testing measures. They should be prepared to engage in remote learning during that time.
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Address: 6500 St. Stephen's Dr., Austin, TX 78746
Phone: (512) 327-1213