GFPS remains committed to the health and safety of our learning communities and will continue implementing guidance set forth by the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Grand Forks County Public Health when it comes to communicable diseases.

Below is a summary of the new guidelines put forth. We are relying on everyone to follow the guidelines to manage all infectious diseases, including COVID-19 as responsible members of our school and community.

GFPS has modified the following procedures according to new CDC/NDDoH guidance. We will no longer:

• Conduct contact tracing or send notifications if we become aware of a positive COVID-19 positive case in a classroom.
• Provide on-site COVID-19 tests. At-home test kits will be available upon request at each campus.
• Require individuals exposed to COVID-19 to quarantine. As long as asymptomatic, individuals exposed to COVID-19 may attend work/school.
• Require classes to cohort or physically distance.

GFPS supports the following recommendations provided by the NDDoH to support safe in-person learning and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases:

• Stay up-to-date on vaccinations,
• Stay home when ill,
• Practice good hand hygiene,
• Regularly clean environmental surfaces, and
• Increase building ventilation.

What to do when ill:

• People who have symptoms of respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, such as cough, fever, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea, should stay home. Staying home when sick can lower the risk of spreading infectious diseases, including COVID-19, to others.
• Testing is recommended for people with symptoms of COVID-19 as soon as possible after symptoms begin.
• For more information on staying home when sick with COVID-19, including recommendations for isolation and mask use for people who test positive or who are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html.

Isolation and Precaution Guidelines for People with COVID-19:

• Isolate to prevent spread to others.
• Students and employees with no symptoms, or who had symptoms may end isolation after day five if:

• Fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and symptoms are improving.
• If fever or symptoms have not improved, continue to isolate until they improve.
• Students and employees with moderate illness (experienced shortness of breath or had difficulty breathing), severe illness (were hospitalized), or who have a weakened immune system, should isolate through day 10.

Regardless of vaccination status, you should isolate yourself from others when you have COVID-19. You should also isolate yourself if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have test results. If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least five days and isolate yourself from others in your home. You are likely most infectious during these first five days.

If you test negative:

• You can end your isolation

If you test positive but have no symptoms:

• Day 0 is the day you were tested (not the day you received your positive test result)
• Day 1 is the first full day following the day you were tested
• If you develop symptoms within 10 days of when you were tested, the clock restarts at day 0 on the day of symptom onset

If you test positive and have symptoms:

• Day 0 of isolation is the day of symptom onset, regardless of when you tested positive
• Day 1 is the first full day after the day your symptoms started
• You may end isolation after day five if you are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and your symptoms are improving
• If you still have a fever or your other symptoms have not improved, continue to isolate until they improve.