Dear Manhattan Beach Unified School District Families,
Welcome back from the winter break and Happy New Year to you. Today’s message focuses on important Los Angeles County Department of Public Health policy changes and new rules related to how we will proceed with quarantine rules for positive cases and close contacts, masking, vaccination, COVID testing, indoor air quality, athletics, band and other school activities, and Ruvna screening.
Everyone has been working hard to create a school year as normal as possible for our students. Amid much progress, the Omicron variant has made the start to 2022 a challenging one. I know that, together, we can take the steps necessary to provide our students the in-person, safe and healthy, and high-quality educational experience they deserve.
The District is in close contact with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) and the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) and we were able to confirm and clarify this morning a number of important changes to rules and recommendations provided over the last 72 hours intended to mitigate the spread of the contagious Omicron variant and keep our schools and classrooms safe for students and staff.
The primary focus of the County offices aligns with the District goal of keeping as many students in classrooms for as many days as possible. We accomplish this by making sure we are taking the steps necessary in our classrooms, on our campuses and in our homes to engage in the personal and shared actions that promote healthy campus environments.
Isolation for Positive Cases
Many of you have inquired about changes to isolation requirements for positive cases, based on recent news regarding CDC guidelines on this topic. LA County has made modifications to its isolation requirements as follows:
- All positive cases must isolate for a minimum of 5 days.
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If, on day 5, the positive case can provide a negative test result, has been fever free for at least 24 hours, and shows improving or resolved symptoms (or was always asymptomatic), they may leave isolation but must wear an upgraded mask through day 10.
Quarantine for Close Contacts
For close contacts of positive cases, we continue to be able to allow individuals to continue to be in school under some circumstances:
- Fully vaccinated individuals - those for whom it’s been 14 days since the full course of their initial vaccination (including a booster shot, if eligible) - may continue to attend school if they test as soon as they are aware of the close contact and on Day 5 after the exposure and if they wear upgraded masks for 10 days after their last date of exposure.
- Unvaccinated individuals who school staff can verify were fully masked during the close contact are still eligible for Modified Quarantine if they test as soon as they are aware of the close contact and on Day 5 after the exposure and if they wear upgraded masks for 10 days after their last date of exposure.
- Individuals who were close contacts in non-school settings or whose close contact occurred while either person was unmasked will need to quarantine according to LACDPH guidelines, which mirror the requirements for positive cases: they must isolate for a minimum of 5 days and can return on day 6 if they are asymptomatic, have a negative test on day 5, and continue to wear an upgraded mask for 10 days after their last date of exposure.
We were pleased when the LA County Department of Public Health confirmed today that the Modified Quarantine will remain an option for districts to utilize. Our Modified Quarantine has kept unvaccinated students who are deemed to be close contacts in school and, to date, 353 students have been able to benefit from in-person instruction because of the Modified Quarantine - that means that, collectively, these students have been in school for over 3500 more days of school than they would have been under traditional quarantine rules. MBUSD will continue to utilize the Modified Quarantine and we know that wearing masks indoors and outdoors is a key component to keeping students in school. Please note that Modified Quarantine only applies to close contacts in the school setting where mask-to-mask exposure can be verified by staff; close contact with infected people at home or off school grounds disqualifies a student from Modified Quarantine.
Masking
The State of California and LACDPH requirement to wear masks at all times when indoors for school districts, campuses, classrooms and offices remains in effect. There are a series of new masking requirements for students and staff which include requiring masks outdoors in crowded spaces where physical distancing is not feasible (except when actively eating or drinking), along with requirements for upgraded masks for staff and recommendations for upgraded masks for students.
The MBUSD outdoor mask requirement for elementary and middle schools moving from ‘required’ to ‘strongly encouraged’ on the return from the winter break aligns with the LACDPH outdoor mask requirement. We strongly encourage all preschool, elementary, middle school and high school students to wear masks outdoors in crowded spaces where physical distancing is not feasible , except when actively eating or drinking. Principals will have discretion to make site-specific outdoor mask decisions related to how lunch areas, passing periods, and different recess, campus activities and other events are handled.
Per new LACDPH guidelines, all District employees will be provided with and required to wear upgraded masks, which were made available today for staff at our schools and offices.
For students, LACDPH recommends that all students wear a well-fitting, non-cloth mask with multiple layers of non-woven material with a nose-wire. While cloth masks are permissible for students, surgical, N-95 and KN-95 masks provide good single mask protection. Additionally, LACDPH states that, for those wearing surgical masks, double masking, with a cloth face covering worn over the surgical mask, is recommended for enhanced protection.
See the most recent LACDPH mask guidance for students here and for staff here, which includes descriptions about the different types of masks and how to wear them. We thank you for your support and cooperation with these changing mask requirements and recommendations.
Vaccination
Vaccination rates for students ages 5-11 and 12-17 continue to climb. To date, the vaccination rate for students in Manhattan Beach ages 5-11 who have received one or more doses is 69.8%, with a full vaccination rate for this age range at 55.4%. 91.7% of students ages 12-17 in Manhattan Beach are fully vaccinated. Strong participation in COVID vaccinations supports our schools’ health and safety efforts which are focused on ensuring our ability to continue to support and provide daily in-person instruction for our students.
The vaccine authorization for students ages 5 and older can provide these students the same protection against COVID that fully vaccinated older students and adults receive, and full vaccination will provide greater opportunity for all students to be able to remain in school and on campus. We continue to urge all eligible students, staff and community members to get vaccinated and, when recommended, to receive a booster.
Earlier today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized booster doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds. The FDA also shortened by a month the amount of time that adult and adolescent recipients of Pfizer’s vaccine should wait between their second and third doses, allowing them to seek booster shots five months after their second vaccination shot. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) vaccine advisory committee is set to meet Wednesday to review the FDA authorizations and decide whether to recommend the changes. If it does, the CDC’s director is expected to quickly sign off on them. Please watch for updates on this in Friday’s newsletter.
To find out about availability of boosters for anyone age 12 and up, or to schedule vaccination appointments for anyone age 5 and up, parents are encouraged to visit California’s myturn.ca.gov website.
COVID Testing
Thank you to everyone who was able to support our the COVID testing clinic held yesterday at Mira Costa High School. The clinic remained open so that all 1200 participating students, parents, staff, and family, and community members were able to participate in this important event. Results should be provided within 24 to 48 hours of taking the test, and our provider anticipates being able to notify anyone with positive results no later than 12pm on Tuesday, January 4; if a participant has not been contacted by a provider by then, results are likely negative. If a participant has not received results by Tuesday evening, they can email mbusd@malibumedicalgroup.com to request a copy of their individual test report. Please note that the option for family members to test was open for this event only; MBUSD’s weekly on-site testing program is open to asymptomatic students and staff members only.
If not already participating, please be sure to sign your student(s) up for our weekly testing in order to accommodate increased volume. Please note the dates/times as follows:
Monday
Mira Costa High School
2:00 - 5:00
Tuesday
Grand View Elementary
8:30 – 11:10
Meadows Elementary
8:30 – 11:10
Pacific Elementary
8:00 – 11:10
Wednesday
MB Preschool
8:30 - 11:10
Mira Costa High School
2:00 – 5:00
Robinson Elementary
8:30 - 11:10
Thursday
Pennekamp Elementary
8:30 – 11:10
MBMS
8:00 - 3:00
If a student or staff member is symptomatic or has been exposed to someone with a positive diagnosis, they should seek testing from an off-site provider. One option to do this is through Beach Cities Health District, where students or staff members can make an appointment using this BCHD COVID-19 Testing Registration Link. (In order to register, students will need their Aeries identification number as well as the email of the parent listed as the student’s first parent contact in Aeries, and staff members will need the last 6 digits of their Employee ID number and their District email address ending with mbusd.org.) Other ways to obtain a COVID test include:
The State of California has obtained at-home rapid antigen test kits for all California students in grades TK through 12. Please watch for information from your school principals about how those kits will be available for student pick up Thursday/Friday at MBMS and MCHS, and at elementary schools on Friday. The kits contain two tests; we ask that families use one test with your student over the weekend to inform attendance on Monday, January 10 and to keep one test in reserve for future use as needed.
Indoor Air Quality
We have received inquiries regarding our classroom HVAC systems. MBUSD has installed MERV-13 filters in every HVAC unit that can accommodate them, and the District has also installed a stand-alone HEPA air purifier in each occupied space. HVAC systems have been adjusted to maximize the flow of fresh air circulated into each room. Maintenance staff conducted annual maintenance over the summer and ensures that HVAC filters are changed on a quarterly basis. The HEPA air purifiers have a cleanable pre-filter as well as a HEPA filter; the HEPA filter is replaced yearly, and, over the winter break, all pre-filters were inspected and cleaned. In addition to utilizing these measures, staff are advised to keep doors and windows open as much as possible - and, as a result, we encourage students to wear layers while at school, as colder temperatures and open doors and windows can mean that classrooms may not be able to maintain ideal temperatures at all times.
Indoor Band and Youth Sports Activities
As we move into the colder winter months, some activities are moving indoors. In order to ensure our ability to sustain these programs, additional protective measures are in place. Students who participate in indoor band programs must wear instrument masks and utilize bell covers, stay 3 feet away from others, and test at least once per week. Any student participating in an indoor sport where masks are not worn at all times must test at least twice per week; if masks are worn at all times while playing indoor athletes must test at least once per week. Outdoor athletes will be required to test once per week. Additionally, LACDPH has stated that, for any sports team in which there has been an outbreak of four or more epidemiologically linked cases over a 14-day period, there will be a mandatory 7-day suspension with LACDPH approval required prior to resuming activity.
Ruvna
The daily Ruvna screening is an important daily practice that asks questions about symptoms, exposure, testing, and diagnoses prior to entering campus. The Ruvna screening tool is one of a series of personal and shared practices we can all engage in to create healthy and safe classrooms and campuses; those practices include hand washing, cough etiquette, being aware of social distancing, wearing a mask, participating in our regular free school campus COVID testing program and getting vaccinated when eligible.
The start of the new year presents a fast-moving situation, and we appreciate your collaboration and patience. Our goal is to continue to focus on keeping students and staff safe and keeping schools open because we know that is what is best for students. Schools remaining open are critical to the overall wellbeing of our children. Schools mean so much to our children. It is so much more than academics. It is about participating in band and athletics, being with friends and having the warmth and support of school staff.
Thank you for everything you do to keep our schools open. We know it has not been easy, and let’s all continue to help each other out in a challenging time.
Sincerely,
