Hanover Public Schools Health Services Update 12/30/20
We hope that this letter finds you well and that you are having a restful and happy holiday week. As we approach the conclusion of our winter break, we would like to provide you with an update. As of today, we are planning to resume our Hybrid Model on Monday, January 4, 2021. As you probably know, our region has been experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases since the Thanksgiving holiday. Prior to the holiday break, the Hanover Public Schools implemented three remote learning days and instituted a week-long pause to high school athletics to evaluate the recent increase of cases in the Town of Hanover. We will continue to evaluate current health and safety conditions and make future decisions accordingly.
Our COVID-19 Dashboard remains the best source of current information for our community. There have been 24 new school-related cases over the past week. Since the initial surge that occurred prior to the break, we have seen case reports stabilize. Our dashboard is updated daily, and we continue to review each reported case in our community.
With the help of our Hanover Fire Department MIH program, our Health Services Department continues to test, contact trace, isolate positive cases, and quarantine close contacts. We continue to find that household spread and identifiable clusters are the primary drivers of the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Although the state reported indicators of community spread are high, there continues to be little evidence of spread in our schools or on our athletic teams.
As part of our recurring health and safety protocols, we requested guidance this week from the Hanover Public Health Nurse, the State Epidemiologist (MDPH), and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education COVID-19 Consultant regarding the level of community spread in the Town of Hanover as it pertains to the operation of our schools. These experts have advised the district to maintain our current (hybrid) level of programming during this time. It is more important than ever that everyone in the community follow the guidelines of the state to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and minimize the impact on our schools.
We will continue to evaluate the data on a daily basis and collaborate with our state and local health agencies as needed. Our objective is to keep students in school while minimizing the impact of COVID-19 on our students, staff, and community. Please review the important information at the end of this message to help reduce infections and spread in the months ahead.
Please call your school nurse if you have any questions, if you are experiencing symptoms, or if you have been in close contact with a positive case. There will be an on-call nurse responding to voice messages 8:30 am - 12:30 pm during the holiday break.
Best wishes to your family for a happy and healthy New Year in 2021!
Sincerely,
Matthew Ferron
Superintendent
Patricia Smith, BSN RN NCSN
Director of Health Services
Protect Yourself and Stop the Spread
The most important thing you can do is to stay home if you are experiencing symptoms, even if very mild, and reach out to your school nurse and your healthcare provider. We are very fortunate in Hanover to have the Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) program in town that provides no-cost, accessible testing for members of our school community who are exhibiting symptoms or have been in close contact with a positive case.
Common symptoms of COVID-19
- Cough
- Fever (>100.0 F)
- Shortness of Breath
- Sore Throat
- Muscle Pain
- Headache
- Loss of taste and/or smell
- Nausea/Vomiting/Diarrhea
- Congestion (with other symptoms)
- Fatigue (with other symptoms)
Symptoms may range from very mild to severe
Guidelines
- Stay home and contact your healthcare provider and school nurse if:
- You or anyone in your household is ill
- You or anyone in your household has tested positive for COVID-19
- You or anyone in your household as been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19
- You are awaiting test results for COVID-19 for any reason
- Wear a mask in public
- Avoid unnecessary travel
- Avoid unnecessary gatherings outside of your household
- Wash your hands often
- Assist with contact tracing, if requested