December 17, 2020

Dear Hollis Staff, Students, Parent, and Community,

On December 2, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidance for establishing quarantine timelines for contacts of persons with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

Subsequently, the Illinois Department of Public Health adopted the guidance with the understanding that further clarification was pending. On December 17, 2020, IDPH released updates to the quarantine guidelines for local public health authorities to determine and establish quarantine options.

With that consideration, as the local health authority for Peoria County, the following options for quarantine will be allowable for school-age children:

• In alignment with the CDC, 14-day quarantine continues to be the recommended period.
• Quarantine can be shortened to end after Day 10 from the last day of exposure without testing and if no symptoms have been reported during any daily monitoring period.

For staff within schools:

• In alignment with the CDC, 14-day quarantine continues to be the recommended period.
• Quarantine can be shortened to end after Day 10 from the last day of exposure without testing and if no symptoms have been reported during any daily monitoring period.
• Quarantine can end after Day 7 from exposure if a Reverse Transcriptase (RT)-PCR test is negative and if no symptoms have been reported during any day of the daily monitoring period. The earliest a RT-PCR specimen may be collected and tested would be on Day 6 with quarantine being discontinued no earlier than Day 8.

All shortened quarantine periods require additional criteria to be followed. Key points to highlight include:

• Correct and consistent mask use (including within homes)
• Social distancing,
• Hand hygiene, and
• Daily monitoring of symptoms of COVID-19 illness.

Local school districts will not validate if students and staff are able to return. As the legal public health authority, Peoria City/County Health Department’s staff will assess daily monitoring, that proper testing was done, and if any additional exposures occur.

Local school districts will allow students and staff back with release letters from quarantine.

To assist the process, we direct families to the contact tracing number: 312-777-1999.

Thank you for your patience during this unique period in our community.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Chad Jones
Hollis Superintendent