Students, staff can test out of quarantine

The Butler County Health Department released a change to contact tracing methods when it comes to the Poplar Bluff R-I School District, which will impact both staff and students.

A change last week, brought about by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, made it so that somebody in contact with a COVID-positive person would be sent home for 14 days to quarantine and could not return to school until that time was completed.

According to the statement, released in conjunction with R-I, this can lead to lost learning opportunities and mean nutritional needs aren’t being met.

Butler County Health Department and R-I officials worked with the Department of Health and Senior Services and Sen. Doug Libla’s office on new criteria to better meet those needs, it continued.

Under the new plan, if a person is wearing a mask or face covering when in contact with a COVID-positive person, they can remain at school.

This was the policy before last week’s change meant staff needed to go home for 48 hours and test negative before returning to school, where they would need to wear a mask or face covering for the duration of the next 14 days. Students could not test out of quarantine.

If a contact is not wearing PPE at the time of exposure, they will be sent home for quarantine, but can get a test four days after the exposure. If that test is negative, they can return to school, but will need to wear a mask or face covering for the remainder of the 14 days.

School staff will continue to work with the health department on contact tracing efforts.

According to the statement, both entities will closely monitor positive cases and contacts and will move to a stricter policy if the data shows a “substantial increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases within the school system.”

“We hope that this more flexible policy will protect all aspects of a child’s health, both mental and physical, while at the same time allowing children, who happen to be a contact of a positive case, the ability to continue to experience and benefit from all aspects of our exceptional educational institutions in Butler County,” according to the statement.

This new policy is effective immediately, Dr. Scott Dill, R-I superintendent, said.