Dear TCGIS Community / Liebe TCGIS Gemeinschaft,
Thank you for your attention to the multiple communications during this extended weekend.
There will be no school or KinderClub on Monday, November 29, 2021.
As previously communicated, Zepto Life Technology conducted an in-lab audit today. That audit has now been completed and revealed no contamination. They also conduct controls with every testing batch. As a result of this audit, we are accepting the results of Tuesday’s testing as accurate and will NOT be conducting re-tests of positive individuals tomorrow. Re-testing would have been advisable if the audit had revealed any concerns. It did not.
CDC and MDH guidance has always been that “positive PCR test results are considered confirmed cases.” (Source here.) Positive antigen test results are considered probable cases. This was reiterated today in consultations with an academic pediatrician from the University of Minnesota and the MDH Covid Hotline. Families with questions about this CDC and MDH guidance should call the MDH Covid Hotline at (833) 431-2053.
It is essential that we consult with the School Covid Support Team at the Minnesota Department of Health, who have not been available during the holiday break. Our Safe Return to In-Person Learning Plan states that “TCGIS will regularly consult our local public health experts when making any changes or decisions concerning our school plan."
As a result, in order to keep our school community safe as we consider all relevant factors, there will be no school or KinderClub on Monday, November 29, 2021. Teachers and Kinderclub staff will use this day to prepare for the possibility of partial or full distance learning. We will communicate by Monday afternoon our determination regarding whether we can safely return to school or whether we will need to pivot to distance learning.
Your Incident Response Team at TCGIS continues to prioritize the health and safety of our school community. We work hard to ensure that mitigations are followed so we can support in-person learning. We also take the recent increase in positive cases seriously. Cases are on the rise across the state. TCGIS will continue to manage case follow-ups and notify exposed individuals, consistent with Best Practices for Handling a Confirmed Case of COVID-19.
We thank you for sharing our desire to respond to the potential spread of Covid with utmost thoroughness and concern.
Sincerely,
Kirsten Christensen, Executive Director
Julie Alkatout, Board Chair
Ashley Weston Miller, Director of Operations and HR, Covid Coordinator
Monika Avery, Health Service Associate
Dani Nicholson, Covid Testing Coordinator
