For the 2023-24 School Year, Haverhill Public Schools will again align with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) guidelines for COVID management. The most recent guidance was published August 15, 2022 and may be found at the following link: COVID-19 Isolation and Exposure Guidance for Children and Staff in Child Care, K-12, Out-of-School Time (OST) and Recreational Camp/Program Settings

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) continues to work closely with MDPH and provide school guidance. COVID information from DESE may be found here: COVID-19 Guidance/On the Desktop Messages

COVID EXPOSURE

  • If you are exposed/in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID, quarantine is no longer required nor recommended for children or staff in these settings, regardless of vaccination status or where the exposure occurred. 
  • All exposed individuals may continue to attend programming as long as they remain asymptomatic. Those who can mask should do so until Day 10, and it is recommended that they test on Day 6 of exposure. 
  • If symptoms develop, follow the guidance for symptomatic individuals, below.

COVID-19 symptoms

Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Muscle aches or body aches
  • Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
  • Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
  • Nausea, vomiting, when in combination with other symptoms
  • Headache, when in combination with other symptoms
  • Fatigue, when in combination with other symptom
  • Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies), when in combination with other symptoms

INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SYMPTOMATIC

  • See PCP for assessment and testing
  • Urgent care if unable to see PCP
  • Tests can also be obtained from most pharmacies
  

POSITIVE COVID TEST RESULT

  • Children and staff who test positive must isolate for at least 5 days. If they are asymptomatic or symptoms are resolving and they have been fever free without the use of fever-reducing medicine for 24 hours, they may return to programming after Day 5 and should wear a high-quality mask through Day 10:
    • If the individual is able to mask, they must do so through Day 10.
      • If the child has a negative test on Day 5 or later, they do not need to mask.
      • If the individual is unable to mask, they may return to programming with a negative test on Day 5 or later.

VACCINATION

  • Vaccines continue to be the best way to protect individuals against the effects of COVID-19. DESE and DPH strongly recommend that all faculty, staff, and students, including the Commonwealth’s youngest children ages 6 months – 5 years, receive the COVID-19 vaccine primary series and all boosters, as they become eligible for them.  
  • Information about vaccination clinics across the state is available online at www.vaccines.gov