Mt. Pleasant schools plans to continue notifying close contacts

MT. PLEASANT - In a letter sent to district families, Mt. Pleasant Community School District Superintendent John Henriksen updated parents on new guidance related to quarantining students.

The letter notes students will not need to quarantine after being identified as a close contact 'as long as the individual testing positive and the close contacts were wearing face masks.” A close contact is identified as an individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for 15 minutes or more.

Guidance from the Iowa Department of Public health suggests the change in quarantining guidance for non-healthcare and non-residential settings if the close contacts 'are wearing face coverings consistently and correctly.”

The letter follows a school board work session on Monday evening, during which board members discussed the new guidance and asked whether the district would be required to continue notifying families and students of potential exposure. The letter states the district will 'continue to notify families of close contact students so they can self-monitor for symptoms.”

In the letter, Henriksen pointed out specifications of the new policy including that the use of only a face shield or only a neck gaiter will still require a close contact to quarantine. The letter notes a student identified as a close contact because of exposure through a household member will be required to quarantine for 14 days.