By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
In an effort to slow the further spread of the coronavirus, local school staff and students traveling outside of Southeast Alaska are now required to receive two negative tests and follow strict distancing protocols on their return. The School Board approved the policy on Wednesday.
“Staff and students traveling outside of Southeast Alaska… more than 24 hours are required to test at the airport upon returning to Sitka. Upon returning, staff and students should follow strict social distancing protocols (including not entering a school building) until receiving a second negative test seven days after returning from travel,” Learning Support Director Chris Voron wrote in a Thursday email to school families.
Voron also recommended that those traveling within Southeast test twice, seven days apart, although the district will not require strict distancing for local travelers.
The seven-day testing policy went into effect, Voron said, because it ensures a high chance of catching a positive case of the virus.
“The statistics show on a five-day test that it’s better than not testing, but we’ll catch between 40% and 50% of people who might turn positive. But if we do seven days that number is closer to 75% to 80%,” Voron told the Sentinel on Friday.
The seven-day testing policy reflects the old August 11 state mandate, though the state later reduced the wait time to five days, Voron said. Voron said that the district chose to keep the seven-day protocol on the recommendation of Alaskan public health officials.
“As we asked questions about this change (on a conference call), as the state relaxed it from five days to seven days, several superintendents asked if Public Health would recommend staying with the old seven days requirement, and (Alaska DHSS Chief Medical Officer Dr.) Zink’s answer was, ‘Absolutely,’” Voron said.
He added that the new policy for in-state travel mirrors the district’s month-old guidelines for travel outside of Alaska. Since Nov. 4, the district has required two negative virus tests seven days apart, coupled with strict distancing after a staff member or student returned from out of state.
In his email, Voron reminded school families that when observing the seven-day distancing period, a person should avoid social gatherings.
“Please do not enter restaurants, bars, gyms, community centers, sporting facilities (i.e. ice rinks, gymnasiums, sports domes), office buildings, school or daycare facilities. Do not participate in any group activities, including sporting events and practices, weddings, funerals, or other gatherings,” Voron wrote.
He said that, prior to this, the school district did not have a protocol for in-state travel.
He added that the reason for the new measure is “to prevent spread of the COVID-19 virus in school buildings and the community due to travel.”
A number of Sitkans traveling within Alaska have tested positive for the virus, Voron said, especially some returning from Anchorage.
“We don’t want to be more restrictive than we have to be, but we’ve seen a clear pattern that the travelers that are turning positive are not just out-of-state travelers,” Voron said in the interview.
While the new policy does not apply for travel within Southeast, Voron recommended that people returning from Juneau or Ketchikan take advantage of the free virus testing at the airport upon their return.
“We are not saying that travel to Juneau or Ketchikan is low-risk. That is not the intention, and as you can see we are recommending that everyone traveling in Southeast take the free tests,” he said.
The school district shifted to online learning in all schools except for Baranof Elementary on Nov. 11 in response to a sharp rise in local coronavirus cases. Baranof will remain open until winter break begins on Dec. 18, the district has said. The remainder of local schools will remain virtual until at least Jan. 11.
In a separate email to school families on Wednesday, Superintendent John Holst laid out the reasoning for this.
“The rising numbers of COVID-19 cases this month are fighting against us,” Holst said. “For that reason, we are now working toward reopening schools following the holiday break and not trying to rush a decision during the last two weeks before the break. (Keet Gooshi Heen, Blatchley Middle School, Sitka High, and Pacific High) will remain virtual through January 11 and Baranof (Elementary) will be in person through December 18,” he wrote in his email.
Voron stressed the need for people to remain careful until they receive their second negative virus test.
“One of the biggest things that we still need to work on around education for this, once someone gets an initial negative test… gives people the sense that they really can relax their guard so to speak. They have to be diligent through that second test… This is one of the biggest ways we’re seeing continued transmission,” he said
Voron noted that many parents have asked him what to do if their child has tested positive, but has since recovered and completed isolation but now needs to travel. He said parents should reach out to public health officials to receive proper documentation.
“By calling public health, they can link to a form that documents their isolation is complete and testing is not recommended for 90 days after testing positive and completing your isolation,” Voron said.
Voron said that the new protocol is a critical aspect of keeping Sitkans safe from infection.
“We want people to be very aware of the travel protocol because this is a really key part of how we’re going to keep our community safe.”
