The Washington State Department of Public Health defines an outbreak as the following: 

• At least 5 cases within a specified core group meeting criteria for a COVID-19 case from a positive test OR 
• Multiple COVID-19 cases from positive tests comprising at least 20% of students, teachers, or staff within a specified core group;  AND 
• The following three criteria are met: 
  • Cases have a symptom onset or positive test result within 7 days of each other
  • There is no evidence that transmission was more likely to have occurred in another setting (e.g., household or outside social contact) outside of the school or child care
  •  Cases were epidemiologically linked in the school or child care setting or a school or child care-sanctioned extracurricular activity

Students and staff will no longer be required to wear masks. However, we anticipate that some students and staff will continue to wear them. We will respect their right to do so, and we encourage you to spend time talking with your child about these options. 

The option to wear masks or not wear them includes all school bus transportation.  Students, children, or staff who test positive for COVID-19 should follow the  DOH What to do if you test positive for COVID-19 guidance, including staying home for at least 5 days and wearing a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings. 

Students, children, or staff who test positive for COVID-19 should follow the DOH What to do if you test positive for COVID-19 guidance, including staying home for at least 5 days and wearing a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings. 

Individuals should continue to wear a well-fitting and high-quality mask for an additional 5 days (day 6 through day 10) if they return to school or child care after the end of their 5-day isolation period, having met the criteria of being fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and improved symptoms.

If an individual is unable to wear a well-fitting and high-quality mask, they should continue to isolate for a full 10 days or follow the test-based strategy as listed in the dot points below:

When testing to potentially end isolation,

• If the test is positive, the individual may still be infectious. They should continue to isolate and wear a well-fitting and high-quality mask and wait 24-48 hours to test again.

• If the test is negative on two sequential tests each performed 24-48 hours apart, they can end isolation and stop wearing a mask before day 10.

• If no additional testing is done, the individual should continue to wear a well-fitting and high-quality mask for days 6-10.

A close contact is defined based on proximity and duration of exposure with consideration of mask wearing.

• In most settings, for COVID-19, a close contact is anyone who was within 6 feet of an infectious person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes). An infectious person can spread COVID-19 starting from 2 days before they have any symptoms or, if they are asymptomatic, 2 days before their sample that tested positive was collected.

• In the K-12 indoor classroom setting, or a structured outdoor setting (e.g., holding class outdoors with educator supervision; on a bus where assigned seating is adhered to, masks are worn appropriately throughout the duration of the trip , and windows and ceiling vents are open), where well-fitting masks are worn correctly and consistently, the close contact definition excludes students and staff who were between 3 to 6 feet of an infectious individual if both the infectious individual and the exposed individual(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time. In other words, in K12 indoor classrooms and structured outdoor settings, if students and staff are consistently wearing masks and seated or otherwise able to remain at least 3 feet apart, they are NOT considered close contacts.

What are the common symptoms of COVID-19?

Most COVID-19 cases are mild with fever and cough. Adults and children with COVID-19 have reported the following symptoms or combinations of symptoms, which may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus:

• Fever of 100.4°F / 38°C or higher
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Muscle pain or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

This list does not include all possible symptoms. Please talk to your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.

STAFF & STUDENTS

Staff members and students experiencing symptoms should stay home. Students and staff who have been identified as a close contact should speak with their school's nurse. Students will not be tested without a signed parent consent form.

RAPID TESTING INFORMATION- COMMUNITY

Island County COVID Response Team is offering free rapid antigen testing for COVID-19.

      To make an appointment, which is required, or for more information, call the Island County COVID Response Call Center at 360-678-2301 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

      Testing is available if you have symptoms such as fever, cough, muscle/body aches, fatigue, sore throat, diarrhea, congestion/runny nose, nausea/vomiting, shortness of breath, and/or loss of taste/smell.

      To receive a rapid antigen test, no insurance or identification is required, and test subjects will remain in their vehicles throughout the simple process.

More information is available at Island County Public Health

Free at-home kits are now available to order. Click here for more information

Boosters Now Available

The Washington State Department of Health (WADoH) is expanding the use of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for certain individuals following recommendations from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Scientific Safety Review Workgroup.

Providers can now offer booster doses of Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.  Johnson & Johnson is recommended two months after receiving the first dose.  Moderna and Pfizer are recommended after at least six months have passed since completing the primary vaccine series. The Pfizer booster is a full dose and Moderna is a half dose.  To be eligible: 

• Those 65 and older,

• Those 18-64 who live in long-term care settings,

• Those 18-64 who have underlying medical conditions, and 

• Those 18-65 who work or live in high-risk settings.

Boosters are available at:

• Island Drug: https://islanddrug.com/pages/covidvaccine/

• Safeway: https://www.safeway.com/pharmacy/covid-19.html

• Walgreens: https://www.walgreens.com/findcare/vaccination/covid/19/landing

• RiteAid: https://www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/scheduler

• Saar’s: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21923194

• Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/cp/flu-shots-immunizations/1228302

• Whidbey Health: https://whidbeyhealth.org/covid-19

• Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccines - What Parents/Guardians Should Know - DOH Flyer
• Vaccinating Youth website - Washington State Dept of Health
• COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens - CDC
• Pfizer (5-11) Vaccine Fact Sheet
• Booster information- Washington Department of Health