County health officials change guideline for in-person education

The Chester County Health Department has changed guidance for acceptable distancing in schools.

On Friday, Public Health Director Jeanne Franklin sent a letter to Delaware and Chester County school superintendents announcing the change and noting that inperson learning is vital for children in all grade levels and credited districts with successfully implementing mitigation measures.

“Because of the layered mitigation measures you have successfully implemented, we support schools increasing more in-person learning through reduced physical distancing,” Franklin wrote in the letter.

The new guidance states that 3-foot distancing may be acceptable when community

transmission levels are out of the very high level and while layered mitigation strategies are continued.

Franklin said the new guidance aligns with recently released CDC strategies for K-12 schools. The CDC guidance states vaccinations are not required to open schools.

The risk of COVID-19 transmission will continue to be defined by the seven-day incidence rate per 100,000 and the sevenday percent positivity rate within the community.

When community transmission levels fall below a seven-day positivity rate of 10 percent and the incidence rate is below 100 cases per 100,000 population, the guidance calls for 6-foot distancing between students to the greatest extent possible, but no less than 3 feet. Sixfoot distancing is required for all staff-to-staff and staff-to-student interactions.

When the seven-day positivity rate is above 10 percent and seven-day incidence rate per 100,000 is over 100, then 6-foot distancing is strongly recommended for students.

Rates have been decreasing overall across Delaware County in the past few weeks. Last week, Chester had the lowest positivity rate in the county at 60.39, down from 183.59 a month ago, while Chichester had the highest at 170.80, down from 284.67 a month ago.

The health department letter also announced four new mitigation strategies required to carry out the distancing rules: 1) implementation of COVID testing and screening plans and promotion of those plans, 2) education and promotion of vaccinations; 3) engagement with families to ensure changes do not adversely impact them and 4) ensuring options still remain in place for those choosing not to return to schools.

Franklin said districts are encouraged to update their Health and Safety Plan to align with the updated guidance.

In related news, Haverford Township Superintendent Maureen Reusche sent a letter to parents last week in which she spoke about a timeline that district is working toward to return K-5th grade students to five day a week in-person instruction.

Reusche noted that from October-December, there were 58 positive cases contagious while in school district buildings, while since January there have been 44 positive cases in district buildings and two linked transmissions which occurred in the fall.

Reusche noted returning K-5th grade students will mean some classes may have in excess of 20 students per class and room size will not always accommodate a 6-foot separation.

She said the district will not be able accommodate staffing plans to return to full in-person classes for K5th grade unless an overwhelming majority of families opt in to the plan. The district will be looking for eight parent/guardians for each of the five elementary schools to work parttime as lunchtime monitors. They will also work with the district daily with COVID testing. Security clearances are required.

Haverford School District, like Ridley and other county districts, is starting voluntary rapid COVID testing. Staff members at each school have volunteered for weekly assurance/ surveillance testing through Project ACE-IT. The program has a two-pronged approach - surveillance or “assurance” testing and symptomatic testing.

Modeled after a successful program in Texas, the project is being directed by the Chester County Health Department. The Delaware County Intermediate Unit developed plans and is responsible for distribution and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is providing access to the antigen tests and technical assistance.

The tests are 15-minute rapid tests using nasal swabs in the front area of the nostril. They are reported to be highly accurate, detecting 97%-98% of symptomatic individuals. The assurance testing program focuses on asymptomatic staff and high-risk students with special education needs. The goal of this weekly testing is to identify individuals who may be infectious as early as possible, to further increase the safety of schools.

Surveillance testing of students will depend on test availability.

In addition to testing, Haverford will improve requirements for the type of masks worn.

On Tuesday, the district is distributing a survey to families to commit to either full-day in-person instruction or to Haverford Online, its virtual platform. When the district returns to five day in person learning, the hybrid schedule will no longer be an option.

At the Feb. 18 Haverford School Board meeting, members approved an additional day of in-person meeting for the high and middle schools. Beginning the first Friday in March those schools will meet on alternate AB cohort days.