Thursday, October 28, 2021
OSPI releases information about vaccinations statewide
During a press conference on Thursday, October 28, 2021, OSPI Superintendent Chris Reykdal presented vaccination rate information on school employees, commending employees by saying "educators in the state stepped up."
Nearly 90% of all school employees are fully-vaccinated in Washington State including:
- 90.4% of Classroom Staff
- 87.6% of Building Staff not assigned to Classrooms (including Administrative Staff, Food Service, etc.)
- 86.9% of District Office Employees
Currently, educators exceed the vaccinated population in all counties throughout the state.
Department of Health offers more time for Close-Contact Exposure for testing
The Washington State Department of Health has changed the guidance required for individuals who come in "close contact" with an individual tested positive for COVID-19. Instead of requiring individuals with known close-contact exposure a negative COVID-19 test within 3-5 days of known exposure, that time has been lengthened to 5-7 days after known exposure. This offers individuals with a known close-contact exposure more time to get tested.
Quarantine Time reduced to Seven (7) Days
In an effort to reduce the number of days students are quarantined away from school, the Department of Health now offers two options for schools and districts to use:
- 7-Day with Negative Test for Students and Staff: Quarantine can end after seven (7) full days beginning after the last close contact if no symptoms have developed and after receiving a negative test for COVID-19. The test should occur no sooner than on the fifth (5th) day post-exposure.
- 7-Day Test to Stay Modified Quarantine for Students Only: K-12 students who have experienced a close-contact can follow an LHJ-approved "Test-to-Stay" protocol including a modified quarantine of seven (7) days. During the seven-day quarantine, students may attend school, but, otherwise, must remain at home away from others (e.g. the student may not participate in extracurricular or before/after school childcare or activities, and should not attend social gatherings, etc.)
Washington State COVID-19 Dashboard now includes vaccination rates
The Washington Department of Health has launched an interactive COVID-19 Data Dashboard that now includes county-by-county breakdowns of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, deaths, and vaccinations. You can visit the website directly by using this link: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/COVID19/DataDashboard
For more COVID-19 Guidance from OSPI:
For the most updated K-12 COVID-19 guidance, visit the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) COVID-19 Website by clicking this link: https://www.k12.wa.us/about-ospi/press-releases/novel-coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-resources
Stay updated from Woodland Public Schools:
To stay up-to-date on what Woodland Public Schools is doing to keep our students and staff healthy, safe, and in school, visit our COVID-19 HQ at www.woodlandschools.org/covid-hq