Today, Jan. 13, Uintah High School reached the Test-to-Stay threshold established by the state Legislature in
UCA 53G-9-210. Currently, the high school is reporting 34 confirmed student cases of COVID-19 since classes resumed on Jan. 3.
Before USD could implement the state-mandated Test-to-Stay protocol,
Gov. Spencer Cox notified all Utah school districts in a letter that "it is necessary to step back from test-to-stay programs, allowing the Utah Department of Health to devote its testing resources to congregate-care facilities, long-term care facilities, and community testing sites."
Based on the governor's directive, the district
will not implement Test-to-Stay at Uintah High at this time.
However, there will be NO in-person learning option for Uintah High School students on Friday, Jan. 14. Instead, all UHS students will attend classes online on Friday. At this time, no changes are being made to scheduled games, competitions or extracurricular activities.
Again, this is only for Uintah High. All other district schools will follow the established Friday schedule tomorrow.
There is no school on Monday, Jan. 17, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Students will return to Uintah High on Tuesday, Jan. 18, as scheduled.
The district will continue to closely monitor confirmed case counts at the high school. If the numbers continue to increase, the Uintah School Board may decide to temporarily move the high school to online learning in keeping with state law and the new guidance provided by the governor this morning.
Public health officials recommend that people continue to practice good hygiene, maintain social distancing, and wear a mask. Masks are not required in USD schools. The decision to wear a mask is an individual choice. The district has zero-tolerance for bullying or harassment based on an individual's decision to wear or not wear a mask while at its schools.
Anyone who is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should not come to school. Those who test positive for COVID-19 are required to isolate at home for 5 days from the day they are tested, even if they don’t have symptoms or feel sick. Students who must isolate due to a positive test result should attend classes online. They may return to in-person learning after 5 days if they are fever-free without medication for at least 24 hours and their symptoms have improved.
It is recommended that those who test positive wear a mask around others for 5 days after the isolation period ends. It is also recommended that they get another COVID-19 test before returning to normal activities (work, school, sports, etc.) to ensure they are no longer spreading the virus.
The district appreciates the community's support as we continue to take steps to protect our students and staff and keep schools open for in-person learning.