Campus Update | Signs, Clinic Updates, Vaccines

September 21, 2021

Many thanks to the Blue Wave for working with us to keep our school community healthy. Last week we saw a drop in COVID-19 cases reported on campus and we are eager to keep that trend going. Some of the best tools to reduce the incidence of infection within our Blue Wave community are vaccination for adults and children over the age of 12, masking while indoors, not coming to school while sick or after a COVID-19 exposure and testing to identify COVID-19 positive members of the community when someone is not feeling well.

Below we share a few updates regarding our COVID-19 response efforts on campus.

REFRESHED SIGNS ON CAMPUS
The University of Florida has approved new signs for P.K. Yonge which will be posted on campus this week. The signs encourage mask wearing while acknowledging that our policy remains the same: masks are expected, but not required. All are invited to “please wear a mask.”

COMING SOON! VACCINE CLINIC
We are pleased to share that we are in the planning stages for a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at P.K. Yonge. Please stay tuned for more details.

CHANGES TO COVID-19 PROCESSES
With the addition of Nurse Kyra McFarlane from the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County to our clinic, changes are being made to our COVID-19 protocols. Our COVID-19 Campus Response (Updated) has been updated and highlights are provided below.

–On-Campus Close Contacts Identified by P.K. Yonge
Classroom close contacts will be identified based on state guidelines. Close contacts outside the classroom will be identified by case interviews.

–Nurse Kyra to Follow Up with Families
After a family reports a positive case of COVID-19 (email nurse@pky.ufl.edu or call 352.294.7293) and on-campus close contacts are identified, Nurse Kyra will follow up with families of school-identified close contacts during school hours to provide important information about quarantine, testing, and return to school dates.

–Out-of-School (Off-Campus) Close Contacts Identified by Screen, Test & Protect
Screen, Test, & Protect assists the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County and will reach out to all P.K. Yonge positive COVID-19 cases  to conduct case interviews and identify out-of-school close contacts.

–Student Immunity Status Must be Verified by State Records
As part of the updated process, state vaccination and health records will be checked to determine a student’s immunity status. A student’s immunity status is based on two factors: 1) vaccination and 2) whether the student has had COVID-19 in the preceding 90 days. This information must be verified by state records in order to be included in a response plan for a student.

— Flow Chart
Our COVID-19 Response Flow Chart (based on a chart shared by Alachua County Schools) is provided to help families understand the decision-making process. IMPORTANT: 1) Students may NOT return to school until cleared by Nurse Kyra, 2) Immunity status can only be determined by state records, not by family self-reports.

–COVID-19 Testing in the Clinic
Rapid tests and PCR tests are now available in the P.K. Yonge clinic to be used when a child reports to the clinic with COVID-19 symptoms. Tests will be used diagnostically at the discretion of the nursing staff and only once signed permission is granted from a parent/guardian. For more details regarding COVID-19 testing on campus, please visit COVID-19 Campus Response (Updated).

–What to Expect After Hours
If a positive case of COVID-19 is reported after school hours, families of close contacts will be contacted and instructed to keep students at home. Immunity status for close contacts will be verified the following school day and families of students who are able to return to school immediately will be contacted as soon as possible. Families of students who must remain in quarantine will be contacted within 24 hours.

 

 

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