Dear Staff, Parents, Students and Community Members,
With Thanksgiving fast approaching in times where gratitude may feel like a challenge, we are grateful for you. Thank you for continuing your efforts in keeping our communities healthy, children learning, and Illinois’ parents working! No one deserves a break more than you.
So, we know you might be considering travel plans, and this week’s message is here to help us think ahead to ensure these plans are safe for everyone.
Please consider the following recommendations:
Administrators:
- Talk with your staff about travel and quarantining expectations if travel is planned
- Review your staff and parent handbooks and communicate any changes to policy you need to make due to COVID-19 with your staff and parents well in advance
- Review the Illinois Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) Interim Guidance for Pre-K-12 Schools and Day Care Programs for Addressing COVID-19 for detailed procedures on COVID-19 safety
Staff:
- Communicate any travel plans you might be considering with your Administrator
- Monitor the travel advisory guide for states that require you to quarantine after visiting, especially if you reside in the city of Chicago
- Review IDPH’s Interim Guidance for Pre-K-12 Schools and Day Care Programs for Addressing COVID-19 for detailed procedures on COVID-19 safety
Parents:
- Ask your child care provider about their COVID-19 travel policies and procedures for staff and children
- Review IDPH’s Decision Tree for Symptomatic Individuals in Pre-K, K-12 Schools, and Day Care Programs to understand the symptoms and circumstances that may prevent your child from returning to care.
The State of Illinois is sponsoring a community test site at the Greene County Work Camp.
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Testing hours: 8-4
Simple nasal swabs will be used. You will be called with results within 4-7 days. No cost for testing. Bring your insurance card, but you can still be tested if you don’t have insurance. Anyone can get tested! You don’t have to have symptoms or be sick.
With incoming data, especially the rise of cases across Illinois, please monitor updates by the CDC and IDPH. Whether you decide to travel or spend time at home, continue your efforts in taking precautionary COVID-19 safety measures. The day will come when we can remove the “distance” from our social gatherings and “reconnect” with our larger family and community circles.
Until then, let’s all continue to wear a mask. Watch our distance. And wash our hands.
Thank you for making a difference.