VWSD updates Return to School Plan following MSDH revised recommendations

Vicksburg, Miss. — The Vicksburg Warren School District (VWSD) board of trustees continues to match the recommendations of the Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH), Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) and remains committed to the safety and well-being of all its students and staff.

Following recommendations from MSDH and CDC, the Vicksburg Warren School District strongly recommends:

• All individuals age 12 and older be fully vaccinated for COVID-19
• All individuals (students, teachers, staff, visitors) wear a mask fully covering both their mouth and nose while indoors

The plan originally approved by the Vicksburg Warren School District (VWSD) board of trustees in their May 25, 2021 board meeting and reviewed in their Thursday, July 29 meeting, is being adjusted based on a new recommendation from the Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH) released on July 30th.

On Friday, MSDH removed the quarantine two-day testing option for unvaccinated students and staff. Non -vaccinated students and staff now have 7, 10 and 14 day quarantine options if they have been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19.

• 7- day plus test option: If the individual has no symptoms for 7 days and has a negative test result with any form of molecular based testing for the detection of COVID-19 RNA collected on day 5, 6, or 7 of the quarantine period, the quarantine period can be discontinued quarantine after 7 days, or
• 10-day option: Quarantine can end after 10 days if the individual has no symptoms during the entire 10-day period, or
• 14-day option: Students, teachers, and staff who are not fully vaccinated and are identified as close contacts to COVID-19 should be in quarantine for a full 14 days.

The District’s full Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Service Plan for the 2021-22 school year plan has been updated online and can be viewed at www.vwsd.org/reopen2021