December 4, 2020
Dear Families and Staff,
Commerce Public Schools will continue on an A/B schedule the week of December 7-11 due to Ottawa County's Red Level COVID-19 risk as determined by the the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Ottawa County is currently at the Red Level with 55.5 per 100,000 new cases per day over the last 7 days. Group A Students will attend in person on Monday and Tuesday while Group B Students will attend in person on Thursday and Friday next week. Wednesday will be an off site virtual learning day for all students.
On December 2, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced significant changes to its guidance regarding COVID-19 quarantines, lowering it from the previous standard of 14 days. You can review the full guidelines here.
- A person can end self-quarantine at seven days after exposure if they test negative and have had no symptoms. The test can be a PCR or rapid test and should be taken within 48 hours of the end of the quarantine period.
- Without a test, a person should self quarantine for 10 days and monitor symptoms for four more days.
The guidance says when a shortened quarantine is in place, the following also should be in place through 14 days after exposure:
- Daily symptom monitoring
- Mitigation strategies, including correctly and consistently wearing a face covering and social distancing
CDC officials said a 14-day quarantine is still the safest option. The agency has said most become infectious and experience symptoms within five days of exposure, but some of those who are exposed don't develop symptoms until up to two weeks after exposure.
State health officials have advised that school districts may immediately begin following the new guidance and can apply it to students and/or employees who may currently be in quarantine and are outside the new quarantine window/protocols.
Please note, these changes are ONLY for individuals who are identified as direct contacts and does NOT change the isolation period and guidelines for positive individuals. Household contacts should still follow the guidelines of beginning quarantine AFTER their last date of exposure to the positive individual.
For information on the current status of student and staff COVID-19 isolation and quarantine cases in the Commerce Public School District, please go to CPS Status of COVID-19 Cases.
Instruction
Alternate A/B Schedule (½ of students [Group A] in-person instruction Tuesday & Wednesday with ½ of students [Group B] distance learning, ½ of students [Group B] in-person instruction Thursday and Friday with ½ students [Group A] distance learning).
Health Protocols
Masks required for teachers/staff.
Masks required for all students.
Masks not required while participating in physical activity.
Visitors are restricted.
We will follow all health orders and protocols, and adhere to district policies (screenings, distancing, hand-washing).
Activities
Buildings and campuses are not available for activities where social distancing is not possible.
Commerce Public Schools Return to Learn Plan 2020-2021 (September 15, 2020)
Sincerely,
Jimmy R. Haynes Ed. S.
Superintendent