Stricter quarantines reinstated for Hays schools

Ellis County Health Department

With the current rise of COVID-19 cases in our community, Jason Kennedy, Ellis County public health officer, is asking for your help.

Our local schools have placed the safety of your children, staff and our community as priority No. 1. The following guidelines should help to ensure healthier school environments.

If your child is sick, do not send them to school. If someone in the household is awaiting test results for COVID-19, do not send any of your children to school while you wait for the results. If your child is asymptomatic but you plan to have them tested for COVID-19 in the next two days, do not send them to school. Keeping them home from school prior to testing will remove subsequent quarantine from a positive test. If you are notified that your child is a close contact with a positive case, please quarantine them.

Our county’s COVID-19 Response Group includes school administrators for all K-12 schools, Hays Medical Center administrators and physicians and Kennedy. They meet on a weekly basis. They only desire to provide a safe environment for all students and staff to learn and succeed in an on-site learning environment. Please help us to preserve the current “normal” so that we may continue on-site learning.

In response to an increase in cases and notification from KDHE of limited or unavailable rapid testing supplies, we must return to stricter quarantine guidelines beginning Tuesday.

If your child is determined to be a close contact, they will be required to quarantine for 1o days from the date of contact.
Individuals will not be allowed to test out of quarantine.
If both parties are wearing a mask for the duration of contact and social distancing of at least 3 feet is maintained, quarantine may not be enforced.
If your child is vaccinated and remains asymptomatic, they may stay in school and activities.
If your child is a close contact outside of school, they shall quarantine for 10 days.