The Keystone Oaks School District’s Pandemic Team has revised the flowchart that will be used to decide when students and staff members who are exposed to COVID-19 need to quarantine. 

Effective Wednesday, January 26, 2022, the Keystone Oaks School District will implement the following changes to the District’s quarantine guidelines. The full flowchart is available to download on the right hand side. A list of Frequently Asked Questions is available at the end of this webpage. 

• Any student or staff member who is identified as a close contact in school or at a school-approved extra-curricular activity will no longer have to quarantine, regardless of vaccination status. Students and staff members that are identified as a close contact in school or at a school-approved extra-curricular activity will be notified so they can monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19. A PCR or rapid antigen test administered at a medical facility is recommended, but is not required, on Day 5 or later after exposure. 
  
  

• Unvaccinated students or staff members who are exposed to COVID-19 within their household or at a non-school event will have to quarantine for 5 days from the date of their exposure. A PCR or rapid antigen test administered at a medical facility is recommended, but is not required, on Day 5 or later after exposure. 
  
  

• Any student or staff member who is exposed to COVID-19 and develops symptoms of the virus should quarantine immediately and seek testing. Recently, symptoms of COVID-19 have reportedly been mild and have included muscle aches, mild headaches, and a stuffy nose.

At their Business/Legislative Meeting on Tuesday, January 18, 2022, the Keystone Oaks Board of School Directors approved changes to the District’s Health & Safety Plan. The plan is available for download on the right hand side of this page. 

Face masks will continue to be required by all students, staff and visitors when Allegheny County is in a “High” or “Substantial” Level of community transmission of COVID-19. More information is outlined in detail below. 

At this time, the District will continue to follow the current Quarantine and Isolation Flowchart, which is available for download on the right-hand side. These guidelines are currently under review and the District will communicate with students, staff and families if any changes are made to these guidelines. 

Effective today, Wednesday, January 19, 2022, the following changes are in place: 

• The Keystone Oaks School District will now consider guidelines from the CDC, Pennsylvania Governor’s Office, Pennsylvania Department of  Health, Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Allegheny County Health Department for the following components of the Health & Safety Plan: regarding the use of face coverings for students, staff and visitors, to determine modes of instruction, when planning group activities, when planning how students move throughout the buildings, in regards to transporting students and in coordinating with state and local health officials. Previously, the Health & Safety Plan had indicated that the District would follow these guidelines. 

While not outlined specifically in the Health & Safety Plan, the District is also making the following changes to some of the procedures that are associated with the implementation of the Health & Safety Plan:

• The District will now be sending a COVID-19 update twice per week. This will allow the Pandemic Team to more accurately track and report positive cases of COVID-19. 
  
  

• To report exposure to COVID-19 or positive cases of COVID-19, please continue to email Mrs. Suzanne Lochie ([email protected]) AND Mrs. Sarah Welch ([email protected]) and include the information below. You may copy and paste the information that applies to your situation into an email and fill in the answers. By providing this information, it will help streamline the communication between the Pandemic Team and parents/guardians. 
  
  

For a positive COVID test result:
Date symptoms began: 
Date of COVID-19 test:
Date result was received:

Last date student was in school: 
Extra-curricular activities student is involved in:

For exposure to a positive case of COVID:
Type of exposure (household, non-school event, etc.):
If the exposure occurred within the household, is the positive individual able to isolate (separate room/separate bath) away from the student? 

Last date of exposure:
Is the student vaccinated:
Is the student exhibiting symptoms? If yes, when did symptoms begin: 

Last date student was in school: 
Extra-curricular activities the student is involved in: 

• Based on Allegheny County Data
• Defined as:
  • Less than 200 new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days 
  • New COVID-19 admission per 100,000 population (7 day total): ≥ 20
  • Percent of staff inpatient bed occupied by COVID-19: ≥ 15%
    OR
  • More than 200 new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days 
  • New COVID-19 admission per 100,000 population (7 day total): ≥ 10
  • Percent of staff inpatient bed occupied by COVID-19: ≥ 10%
• Mask Requirements:
  • Masks are required for all students, staff and visitors. 
  • Parents/guardians who "opt out" of wearing a mask will have to inform the District in writing and provide documentation from a licensed medical provider. 
  • Students may remove their masks while eating or drinking inside when physically distant to the extent feasible, and during mask breaks, when outdoors, or participating in indoor sports and physical education classes.

• Based on Allegheny County Data
• Defined as:
  • Less than 200 new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days 
  • New COVID-19 admission per 100,000 population (7 day total): 10 to 19.9
  • Percent of staff inpatient bed occupied by COVID-19: 10 - 14.9%
    OR
  • More than 200 new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days 
  • New COVID-19 admission per 100,000 population (7 day total): < 10
  • Percent of staff inpatient bed occupied by COVID-19: <10%
• Mask Guidelines:
  • Masks are highly recommended for all students, staff and visitors. 
  • Masks are required in the following scenarios:
    • Students or staff who test positive for COVID-19 and return to school or work after 5 days of isolation must wear a mask at all times through Day 10. 
    • Students or staff who are identified as an unvaccinated close contact and return to school or work after 5 days of quarantine must wear a mask at all times through Day 10.

• Based on Allegheny County Data
• Defined as:
  • Fewer than 200 new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days
  • New COVID-19 admission per 100,000 population (7 day total): < 10
  • Percent of staff inpatient bed occupied by COVID-19: < 10%
• Mask Guidelines:
  • Masks are not required. 
  • Masks are required int he following scenarios:
    • Students or staff who test positive for COVID-19 and return to school or work after 5 days of isolation must wear a mask at all times through Day 10. 
    • Students or staff who are identified as an unvaccinated close contact and return to school or work after 5 days of quarantine must wear a mask at all times through Day 10.

If a student or employee is identified as a close contact at school, are they permitted to quarantine at home? 

Yes. A parent/guardian may turn in a written excuse to the building secretary; these excuses would count towards the ten (10) total parent/guardian excused absences that students are permitted to utilize each year. A parent/guardian may also seek documentation from a medical provider that states that the student is required to quarantine. These absences would then be medically excused. 

Keystone Oaks employees who are identified as a close contact at school are permitted to quarantine if they choose to do so. The employee should submit their absences through the AESOP management system and would be required to use their own sick/personal days. 

How does the District calculate quarantine timelines? 

Following the CDC’s most recent quarantine and isolation guidelines, any individual who tests positive for COVID-19 should isolate for five (5) days. The date that symptoms began or the date that the individual was tested (for those who are asymptomatic) is Day 0. 

For example, for positive individuals: 

Symptoms Began: February 1 (Day 0)

Isolation Timeline: February 2 through February 6 (Days 1-5)

Return to School/Work: February 7, as long as the individual has been fever-free for 24 hours and other symptoms have improved (Day 6)

Strictly Mask: Through February 11 (Day 10)

Unvaccinated individuals who are identified as a close contact to an individual who tests positive for COVID-19 should quarantine for five (5) days. The last date of contact with the positive individual is Day 0. 

For example, for unvaccinated individuals who are exposed to COVID-19: 

Date of Exposure to Positive Individual: February 1 (Day 0)

Quarantine Timeline: February 2 through February 6 (Days 1-5). A PCR or rapid antigen test administered at a medical facility is recommended on Day 5. 

Return to School/Work: February 7, as long as the individual has not developed any symptoms. 

Strictly Mask: Through February 11 (Day 10)

If an unvaccinated student or employee lives with an individual who tests positive for COVID-19, the positive individual should isolate themselves from others in the household, using a separate bedroom and bathroom for five (5) days. If the positive individual cannot isolate, then the quarantine timeline for unvaccinated household members does not begin until the end of the quarantine period for the positive individual. 

For example: for unvaccinated individuals who live with a positive individual who cannot isolate: 

Symptoms Began for Positive Individual: February 1 (Day 0)

Quarantine/Isolation Timeline: February 2 through February 6 (Days 1-5)

Isolation Ends: February 7, as long as the positive individual is fever-free for 24 hours and other symptoms have improved. 

Strictly Mask: Through February 11 (Day 10)

Date of Exposure for Unvaccinated Individual: February 6 (Day 0)

Quarantine Timeline: February 7 through February 11 (Days 1-5)

Return to School/Work: February 12, as long as the individual has not developed any symptoms. 

Strictly Mask: Through February 16 (Day 10)

If a student or staff member is in quarantine and begins to develop symptoms, how is the timeline calculated? 

If a student or employee is in quarantine and begins to develop symptoms, the five day quarantine timeline would re-start. The day that symptoms develop is Day 0. 

If a student is still exhibiting symptoms after Day 5, will their absences continue to be marked as medically excused?

Yes. A parent/guardian must send proof of a positive COVID-19 test result to the building secretary so that absences can be documented accordingly. Students who test positive for COVID-19 and who are still exhibiting symptoms after Day 5 should stay home until symptoms have improved and the student has been fever-free for 24 hours. 

What does it mean to be a “close contact”? 

In a public setting, a close contact is an individual who was within six feet of an infected person for 15 consecutive minutes or more in an indoor setting with or without a mask. 

In the K-12 setting, a close contact is an individual who:

• Was less than 3 feet from an infected person for 15 minutes or more in an indoor setting, with or without a mask. 

• Was between 3 and 6 feet from an infected person for 15 minutes or more in an indoor setting if masks were not worn or were not worn correctly. 

What does “Strictly Mask” mean? 

Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 or who must quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19 may end their isolation or quarantine period after Day 5. Between Day 6 and Day 10, these individuals should strictly wear a face mask around others. In the school setting, a few examples include, but are not limited to:

• Student athletes must wear a mask at all times, including during practices and games (except for swimming and diving, where students do not have to wear a mask in the pool, but must stay masked at all other times). 
  
  

• A student’s lunch location may be altered to allow for additional spacing during this time of the day when the student is unmasked. 
  
  

• A student may not be able to participate in mask breaks, unless spacing of at least six feet can be accommodated and maintained.  
  
  

• Employees should refrain from eating lunch with others and should keep their mask on at all times when they are within six feet of other individuals.