Earlier this week, Governor Reynolds released new quarantine-related guidelines that apply to schools and childcare settings. In short, the new guidelines state that persons in close contact with a person who has tested positive for coronavirus will not be required to quarantine if both individuals were wearing face masks.
Close contacts within households and some other settings will still be required by Tama County to Public Health to quarantine for 14 days; however, the Governor’s new guidelines for schools and childcare settings will apply at North Tama and all schools around the state, effective immediately.
The Iowa Department of Public Health has also clarified that plastic face shields alone are not sufficient to meet Governor Reynolds’ new quarantine guidance. Therefore, North Tama is modifying our local guidelines to reflect this change. Effective immediately, plastic face shields alone will not be considered an acceptable face covering at North Tama.
Students and staff may still wish to wear a plastic face covering in combination with a cloth or disposable mask as an additional precaution. The Governor’s office recently sent a shipment of plain white cloth masks to school districts across the state. If your child is in need of a mask from this shipment, please let us know and we will be glad to provide an additional mask while supplies last. The school will also continue to maintain a supply of disposable masks.
The attached infographic provided by the Iowa Department of Public Health describes the new quarantine guidelines.
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