Charleroi gets updated info on COVID-19 rules

By TAYLOR BROWN

tbrown@yourmvi.com

With Charleroi Area students headed back to class Feb. 1, changing guidelines from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and state Department of Health have kept administrators on their toes.

During a meeting Tuesday night, Superintendent Dr. Ed Zelich updated board members on new PDE and DOH guidelines that will change when and if buildings will have to close as a result of exposures. They also affect how long students or staff who test positive or are exposed to the virus will have to quarantine before returning to the building. 

With students returning to a four-days-per-week in-person instruction model next month, there are specific guidelines that outline when a school of Charleroi’s size — in the 500-900 student range — would have to close if an outbreak were to occur. 

When students return Feb. 1, a rolling 14-day period of monitoring will begin.

According to state recommendations, if four to six students or staff members test positive, schedules could be altered, schools could close for up to seven days and deep cleaning would be required. 

Unless more than seven students or staff members contract the virus, schools would not have to close for more than a week.

If there are more than seven positive cases, schools could close for up to 14 days.

The district has developed its own COVID-19 tracker, which will launch publicly on its website before students and staff return.

It will allow the community to see the number of positive cases of students and staff members during each 14-day rolling period that will be used to determine building closures. 

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