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COVID 19 Information from Salem City Schools
Updated 11/2/2020

The City of Salem School Division has been monitoring the potential spread of COVID-19 for the past few weeks, and like you, we have been processing a great deal of information. The safety of our school children, teachers and parents is always our number one priority.  Our Central Office staff and Emergency Management team members from the City of Salem are in on-going contact with the Virginia Department of Health, the Roanoke-Alleghany Health Department and area health professionals. We encourage you to monitor this site for official school division information. This site will be updated whenever there are new details and facts for you.  We encourage you to consult with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for specific information about the COVID-19 virus. 

2020-2021 Return to Learn Instructional Plan
Return to Play Criteria
Phase III Health Plan
2020-2021 Return to Learn Information and FAQ
COVID-19 Communications
CDC Holiday Celebrations and Staying Safe

 
ATTENTION FAMILIES:
 
Sick Student Protocol:
 
If your student is demonstrating 1 COVID-19 like a symptom, he/she will be asked to stay home until they are symptom-free for 72 hours without medication. If the symptom persists or more symptoms develop, please follow up with your primary care provider for alternate diagnosis AND return to school documentation.
 
If your student is demonstrating 2 COVID-19 like symptoms, your student may return to school after follow up with your primary care provider for alternate diagnosis AND return to school documentation. Without follow up with your primary care provider, the student will be asked to remain out of school for 10 days.
 
How long will a student be required to self-quarantine (stay home and out of school) if they live with someone with COVID-19)?  In most cases, a student shares common spaces (such as bathrooms, kitchen, or other areas) with an infected loved one. In this scenario,  the student will be required to quarantine 14 days after the person who was sick is no longer infection (at least 10 days since symptoms first appeared, if asymptomatic, 10 days since they first tested positive).
 
In total, this is approximately 24 days.  The following handout from the VDH-Living with Someone with COVID-19  will provide greater detail about requirements.
 

COVID-Testing:

ATTENTION: 
If someone in your family is being tested for COVID-19, please do not have any members of your family attend school. 

 
A rapid negative COVID-19 test result will require follow up with your primary care provider for alternate diagnosis AND return to school documentation.
 
If your student has been exposed to COVID-19, a negative COVID-19 test result does not exempt your student from the required 14-day quarantine.
 
Should you have any questions, please contact Randy Jennings, Director of Student Services at (540) 389-0130 or Anna Haymaker, School Nurse Coordinator at (540) 387-2513 ext. 2814.

The local health department (Roanoke-Alleghany Health District) is the lead agency in our community and leaders in the Salem City School Division work closely with health care professionals in our region. In short, educators make educational decisions and health care professionals make medical decisions.

Additional Resources to Better Your Understanding