October 11, 2020
Dear Members of the Loomis Chaffee Community,
Earlier today we learned that a member of our school community has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). The affected person will remain in self-isolation off campus until they are cleared to return to school. Family members will also self-quarantine and get tested.
The last day this person was on campus was Tuesday, October 6. We have notified all close contacts and provided them with instructions on the appropriate steps they need to take. A close contact, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), is any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from two days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, two days prior to positive specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated. The close contacts are required to quarantine at home for 14 days. The Academic Office will create academic plans for the affected students to ensure continuity of learning, and the Dean of Students Office is available to support students. The Dean of Faculty Office will be in contact with the faculty affected to provide any support they might need. After the required period, students and faculty who have been in quarantine may return to daily life on campus after consultation with the school's Health Center.
COVID-19 is spread mainly via person-to-person contact through contaminated air droplets from coughing and sneezing by an infected person. As with controlling the spread of other viruses, we urge everyone to discuss the following preventive measures with your children and family members:
Below is the list of COVID-19 symptoms for which everyone should monitor in their family members:
For additional information on COVID-19 symptoms, please see: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
Faculty, staff, and students exhibiting any of the above symptoms, or feeling ill, should remain home and call their medical provider to report their symptoms and ask about testing prior to seeking in-person care at a clinic, physician's office, or hospital. Please also contact the Health Center at 860.687.6325 or health_center@loomis.org.
I know that this news is unsettling, but I want to reassure you that the school has prepared for this eventuality since planning for the 2020–21 school year began. The health and safety procedures we put in place are working, and we have conducted the necessary contact tracing.
To date we have not received any other positive results from recent testing, and we are still on track to start Fall Term 2 as scheduled. We are closely monitoring this situation and are working with the Windsor Health Department and will provide you with updates as we know more. In the meantime, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. Please join me in wishing our community member a speedy recovery.
Sincerely, Sheila Culbert Head of School
The Loomis Chaffee School • 4 Batchelder Road • Windsor, CT 06095 • 860.687.6000
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