Dear Wellington Community,
Since March 2020, our COVID-19 safety and mitigation protocols have been based on careful consideration of state and local data trends, recommendations from local, state, and federal health organizations, and thoughtful guidance from our medical subcommittee.
In light of these considerations, face coverings will be optional for students, faculty, and staff regardless of vaccination status beginning on Friday, March 4, 2022. We will maintain guidelines for mask use specific to quarantine, which are detailed below. This decision was based on many factors, including the notable decline in COVID-19 cases within our community over the past several weeks, updated masking guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, and the end of the Franklin County mask advisory.
In order to maintain low levels of risk, we ask that the community continue to follow these guidelines:
- Students, faculty, and staff should stay home if they show any signs of illness consistent with COVID-19 such as fever, cough, respiratory issues, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, diarrhea or vomiting, severe headache, or runny nose/congestion.
- Students, faculty, and staff should maintain distancing in classrooms, the dining room, and all other spaces on campus.
- Masks are still strongly encouraged for unvaccinated individuals, those who are experiencing other respiratory illnesses, and anyone who is immunocompromised or lives with individuals who are immunocompromised.
- Those who test positive for COVID-19 must self-isolate at home for 5 days. After day 5, those who are fever-free for 24 hours and have improved symptoms may return to school and must wear a mask through day 10 (Franklin County Public Health).
- Those who have had direct contact with a person who has contracted COVID-19 may remain in the classroom if they take the following precautions:
- Wear a mask for 10 days after their last date of exposure
- Monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, and
- Isolate and get tested if they start to experience COVID-19-related symptoms, regardless of severity (Franklin County Public Health).
- Regardless of vaccination status, all students and employees are asked to continue to report a positive COVID-19 diagnosis and/or any confirmed exposure to an individual with COVID-19 directly to Danielle Goldfarb, school nurse, at wellness@wellington.org or 614-324-1661.
Of course, masks may be worn at any time for any reason and we encourage all eligible individuals to vaccinate for the betterment of the community. In keeping with our values, we expect that each individual’s choice will be honored and respected without question. We know that individuals in our community will need to or will choose to wear a mask for a variety of reasons, and we commit to supporting their decision with compassion and without judgment. We ask the community to refrain from discussing or assuming vaccination status or reason for masking.
Moving forward, we will continue to monitor COVID-19 cases and local, state, and federal recommendations and make adjustments to our safety and mitigation protocols if and when necessary. The COVID-19 Dashboard will stay up to date.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the health and well-being of our school community.
Sincerely,
The Wellington COVID-19 Task Force
Danielle Goldfarb, school nurse
Lindsey Smith, chief operating officer/director of athletics
Laurie Beth Sweeney, chief experience officer/director of development