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Test to Stay Program
Beginning Monday, March 7, 2022, Jefferson Parish Schools will offer Test to Stay (TTS) for employees and students as a strategy to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and support the continuation of in-person learning.
We have continuously prioritized maintaining a safe teaching and learning environment, and this Test to Stay (TTS) is another mitigation tool in a layered COVID-19 prevention strategy. It adds an extra layer of safety for our school community and allows schools to maximize instructional time by decreasing disruptions to teaching and learning. This new strategy also aligns to guidance from the Louisiana Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control.
TTS allows unvaccinated, asymptomatic individuals who are identified as a close contact of a person with COVID-19 to continue to attend work or school. Those individuals can also participate in extracurricular activities in a modified quarantine while committing to a testing protocol. Individuals who develop symptoms of COVID-19 or test positive for COVID-19 will not be eligible for TTS and will be required to follow current guidelines for isolation. Individuals who do not wish to participate in TTS will be required to follow current quarantine guidelines if not fully vaccinated and exposed to someone with COVID-19.
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Who is eligible for TTS?
- The student or employee must be enrolled in the JPS CUE COVID Testing program and agree to test two times between day 0 and 5 of last exposure, on non-consecutive days (days 2 and 5 are recommended)
- Tests done outside of JPS, home and antigen tests, and physician letters will not be accepted.
- The student or employee is Identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 positive or presumptive positive individual
- The student or employee is unvaccinated/not fully vaccinated and remains asymptomatic
- Individuals who are fully vaccinated or have lab confirmed proof of a previous COVID-19 infection in the past 90 days are exempt from quarantine unless they become symptomatic.
- The student or employee must wear an approved face mask at all times for 10 full days from the last day of close contact.
- Reasonable accommodations may be made on a case-by case basis for students who are unable to wear a mask so that they may remain in school after a COVID-19 exposure.
- Except for contact sports (see K-12 sports below), TTS participants will be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities, social gatherings, and field trips.
- Eligibility to participate in TTS will become null and void if the individual becomes symptomatic, tests positive, or fails to meet any of the above listed requirements for eligibility.
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What's the testing process?
- The TTS participant will report to the testing site or be called for testing on the pre-scheduled dates and times.
- The TTS participant may continue to come to school/work until the next scheduled testing day as long as they remain asymptomatic.
- Test results will be recorded on a special TTS log for documentation. If either test is missed, the participant must be quarantined for the remaining quarantine period.
- New close contact exposures during the TTS period will reset the TTS schedule to day 0 from the last day of close contact.
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How does this impact athletics?
- Student athletes who are fully vaccinated, or who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the previous 90 days, can continue to practice and compete in contact sports following close contact with a COVID-19 case if:
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- They remain asymptomatic AND
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Must remain masked at all times from day 0 -10
- Strongly encouraged to test on days 2 and 6 following the last close contact.
- Student athletes who are NOT fully vaccinated should refrain from participation for 5 days and can return to practice or competition on day 6 following close contact if:
- They remain asymptomatic AND
- They test negative for COVID-19 two times, between days 6-10, on non-consecutive days.
- Must remain masked at all times from day 6-10.
- It is the responsibility of the head coach to monitor and enforce this protocol.
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What does this look like for Pre-K students?
- Pre K students and students in classrooms that take naps during the day, that are unvaccinated/not fully vaccinated, and identified or reported as close contacts of a COVID-19 positive individual must quarantine at home for 5 days.
- The student, if asymptomatic, can return to school on day 6 with a negative COVID-19 test administered no earlier than day 5.
- A second COVID-19 test should be administered between days 7-10.
- The student must wear a face mask on days 6 - 10.
- PK students that are unvaccinated/not fully vaccinated and do not participate in TTS, must quarantine for 10 full days.
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How are participants notified?
- Individuals that are identified as an unvaccinated close contact will receive a Modified Quarantine (Test to Stay) Exposure Notification (2A for the student or 2B for the employee) replacing previous notifications, 2A, 2B, 4A, and 4B.
- If the participant is already registered and consented for the JPS CUE testing program, no additional consent will be required.
- If the individual wishes to participate in the TTS option, the JPS CUE testing program registration/consent must be completed prior to being eligible. The individual must follow regular quarantine guidelines until the registration/consent has been received.
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What are the TTS definitions?
- Close contact - Being within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hr period OR having direct physical contact with an infected person (hugging, kissing, sharing utensils, etc.)
- Contact Sports - sports in which some level of contact between participants is expected. Contact sports include, but are not limited to, football, basketball, soccer, wrestling, softball, baseball, volleyball, and cheer.
- Fully vaccinated
- Students who have received 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine (such as Pfizer)
- Staff who have completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last 5 months, OR have completed the primary series of J&J vaccine within the last 2 months, OR have been boosted
- Mask exemption
- A person with a disability, who, for reasons related to the disability, would be physically unable to remove a mask without assistance if breathing becomes obstructed. Examples might include a person with impaired motor skills, quadriplegia, or limb restrictions.
- A person with an intellectual, developmental, cognitive, or psychiatric disability that affects the person’s ability to understand the need to remove a mask if breathing becomes obstructed.