Refusal could prompt ‘quarantine and isolation orders’
| Published:
Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles speaks to private school leaders during a meeting on Friday.
Screenshot via livestream
Some families with students in Montgomery County private schools that have reopened for face-to-face instruction are not cooperating with COVID-19 contact tracing efforts when a possible exposure is reported, the county’s health officer said Friday.
The county health department has conducted more than two dozen investigations into possible COVID-19 cases at private schools and at least 12 schools have reported confirmed cases.
Health department investigations begin when a school reports a positive case or someone exhibiting symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
At least one school, Holy Redeemer Catholic School in Kensington, has reported switching some classes from in-person to remote learning after a staff member and student tested positive.
On Friday, during a weekly call with the leaders of private schools, Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles said one case reported this week has “turned into an extensive investigation.” He did not elaborate.
Contact tracing refers to figuring out, through confidential interviews, which people might have been exposed to a positive COVID-19 case.
During the county’s contact tracing efforts after cases have been reported, some “parents refused to cooperate with the contact tracing and quarantining process,” Gayles said.
He said that, for the most part, families, students and staff members have cooperated, but if the health department continues to have problems, he’s prepared to take further action.
“If folks are not compliant with those rules and designations, there is concern we would have to take further action in terms of utilizing quarantine and isolation orders,” Gayles said. “Ultimately, the guidance is there to keep people safe … and we want to work together with families without taking those extra steps.”
On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines for school reopenings, using various community infection rates to create a five-level color-coded risk scale.
The CDC recommends the use of three indicators:
• the number of new cases per 100,000 people within the last 14 days
• the percentage of tests that are positive during the last 14 days
• a self-assessed measure of schools’ ability to adhere to various mitigation strategies.
The risk scale is divided into five levels: lowest risk, lower risk, moderate risk, higher risk and highest risk of transmission.
Montgomery County falls in the “higher risk” category for the number of new cases per 100,000 people and “lower risk” for percentage of positive tests, Gayles said Friday. Gayles said he expects county schools would fall somewhere between “lower risk” and “moderate risk” for their abilities to implement mitigation strategies, which could include consistent and correct mask usage, social distancing and contact tracing.
If a school district falls into the “medium,” “higher” or “highest” risk of transmission categories, it does not mean that the school cannot reopen for in-person learning, according to the CDC guidance. But the risk transmission of the disease is higher in those situations and the school could consider alternative learning models, the guidance says.
Caitlynn Peetz can be reached at caitlynn.peetz@bethesdamagazine.com
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September 19, 2020 at 03:01AM
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Some private school families not cooperating with COVID-19 contact tracing, health officer says - BethesdaMagazine.com
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