LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: Omicron variant

  • Starting Monday masks optional for all students and no more contact tracing in Loveland City School District

    Starting Monday masks optional for all students and no more contact tracing in Loveland City School District

    by David Miller

    Loveland, Ohio – Beginning Monday, Loveland City Schools will implement a “mask-optional” policy for all students in grades PreK-12. The exception to this policy is for students in the HeadStart PreK program, which is set by federal guidelines.

    Also on Monday, the District will be updating its COVID protocols to align with new guidance from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) which you can read below. Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff from ODH has said that schools are no longer required to do contact tracing. 

    HERE is the January 23 COVID 19 Dashboard from the District. New case counts won’t be issued again until this Monday afternoon.

    Going forward, the only time District staff will do contact tracing is when it is requested by Hamilton County Public Health or ODH because of an outbreak or cluster of COVID cases in one of our buildings.

    Masks will still be required on all school buses. Masking will continue to be “recommended” in school buildings.

    Announcing the new policies in the District newsletter, Superintendent Mike Broadwater said, “I’ve heard from so many of you over the last few months, respectfully sharing your thoughts on the issue of masks. I know that some families will see this as a welcome change, and others will hear this news with concern. I’m hopeful that within a few days of being fully mask-optional, those concerns will melt away as we see more smiling faces in our buildings.”

    To: Local Health Departments and K-12 School Superintendents
    From: Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA, Director, Ohio Department of Health
    Date: Jan. 26, 2022

    Subject: Contact Tracing and Case Investigation Statement

    As COVID-19 has evolved, public health mitigation strategies have had to adjust periodically to address new challenges. The quick spread of the Omicron variant and its rapid clinical course have made universal contact tracing, case investigation and exposure notification impractical when combined with newly reduced timelines for quarantine and isolation.

    Therefore, effective immediately:

    • The Ohio Department of Health recommends that local health departments (LHDs) shift from universal contact tracing, case investigation and exposure notification to a cluster or outbreak-based model. This strategy prioritizes people in high-risk settings, such as congregate residential settings (e.g., shelters, correctional facilities, and nursing homes) or for certain circumstances such as outbreaks or clusters in specific settings or in relation to initial cases or clusters associated with new variants, as appropriate.

    • Schools may discontinue universal contact tracing but are expected to assist LHDs with contact tracing, case investigation and exposure notification related to outbreaks or clusters in schools as determined by the LHD. K-12 schools should continue to follow ODH’s protocol, “Mask to Stay, Test to Play,” and allow asymptomatic students to attend school while wearing a mask if they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. The best place for kids is in school, in-person, full-time.

    • ODH also will change the school case reporting cadence to weekly. Schools should report positive student and staff cases to their LHDs by close of business on Fridays. LHDs will continue to report on the same weekly cadence. This schedule will begin on Friday, Feb. 4. ODH will continue to evaluate related school reporting requirements.

    LHDs should continue providing education and messaging to the general public about steps to take after exposure or a positive test. The attached flow chart may be shared with the public to explain how they should proceed after testing positive for COVID-19 or being exposed to someone who has COVID-19.

    This is also a good time to remind the public of mitigation strategies that work against transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases:

    • Please encourage people to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, including booster doses. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are the best prevention tool we have against severe illness and death.

    • Reinforce the importance of mask wearing, physical distancing, improving ventilation, hand washing, cough etiquette, testing, and staying home if you are sick.

    The flow chart

  • Loveland parents: “Hey all, It’s time to take our combined effort and show our Superintendent and School Board what is important.”

    Loveland parents: “Hey all, It’s time to take our combined effort and show our Superintendent and School Board what is important.”

    Loveland, Ohio – Loveland parents Leah Marcus and Becca Moates say, “Hey all, It’s time to take our combined effort and show our Superintendent and School Board what is important.” They wrote a template letter, a petition, with the help of who they call a super IT friend to solicit support to help them protect school children, teachers, and the community by performing the following COVID 19 related steps.

    1. Read the below letter.
    2. Open your email client and start a new email by clicking this link.
    3. Copy the contents of the below template and paste it into the body of the email message. 
    4. Add your name and additilal comment to the bottom of the document.
    5. Share your voice by hitting send.

    Moates adds, “I can’t stress enough how important it is as a community for us to come together around this. Our healthcare systems are drowning and we are hurting our most vulnerable if we don’t act.”

    Dear Superintendent and School Board Members,

I am writing as a resident of the Loveland City School District to urge you, our Superintendent and elected School Board members, to maintain the all staff and PreK through 6th grade universal indoor masking requirements, scheduled to end January 18, 2021. I am also writing to request that the current universal indoor masking requirement be expanded to include students in grades 7 -12.

This request is being made in consideration of the recent COVID-19 Omicron variant case surge, which has been shown to be more transmissible and contagious than previous variants.

The Ohio Department of Health, the Ohio Department of Education, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and locally, the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, recently provided clear guidance for universal masking in schools and in the community. Universal indoor masking, in addition to vaccination and boosters for those eligible, are strongly recommended as the best tools, especially when used in tandem, for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and the current variant.

The pandemic also continues to take a toll on our children’s and educators’ mental health. Since the pandemic began, rates of psychological distress among young people, including anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders have increased substantially. There is much to be done and each of us has a part to play. Supporting the mental health of youth will require a community effort to address challenges, strengthen the resilience of young people, support their families, and mitigate the pandemic’s mental health impact.

As a resident of the Loveland City School District, I am asking that you consider the following actions:

1. Maintain universal indoor masking for all staff.
2. Maintain Universal indoor masking for all students Pre-K through Grade 6.
3. Expand universal indoor masking requirements to include students in grades 7 - 12.
4. Identify a threshold for educator and/or student absence at which the district will move forward with a remote learning plan.
5. Increase the frequency with which you report to the public student and educator absences as well as individuals positive for COVID.
6. Create and promote safe, positive, and affirming school environments which are inclusive and supportive of student’s social, emotional, and cultural needs.
7. Provide key administrative, educator, and paraprofessional staff with the necessary training to recognize signs of changes in mental and physical health among students.
8. Provide Mental health gatekeeper training so that staff and peers take appropriate action when needed.
9. Support the mental health of all school personnel, including providing competitive wages, time off, access to well paid substitute teachers, regularly assessing staff well-being, and integrating measures to help personnel maintain their own empathy, compassion, and ability to create positive environments for students.

As superintendent and elected school board members, your roles include the evaluation of district operations, interpretations of public health policies, and health service delivery.

My role as a district resident is to help our district leadership identify the areas in need of protection, prioritization, and planning to keep Loveland City School District safe and in school: Universal Indoor Mask Requirements and adequate Mental Health Support for Students and Staff. 
 
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References for Information:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/omicrons-effect-wont-be-as-mild-as-hoped1/
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-coronavirus-cases-hit-record-high-2021-12-29/
https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-12-17/kansas-city-hospitals-are-full-again-omicron-has-arrived-and-doctors-are-begging-for-your-help
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/pdfs/mm7046a4-H.pdf
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/omicron-propagates-70-times-faster-than-delta-in-bronchi-study-69540
https://www.med.hku.hk/en/news/press/20211215-omicron-sars-cov-2-infection
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/28/health/chicago-childrens-hospital-surge-doctor-vaccines/index.html
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-youth-mental-health-advisory.pdf
https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/our-youth-are-struggling-with-mental

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