Covid Information

This page is to serve as a reference page for those who may be Covid positive or identified as a close contact to a positive case. For additional information about Coronavirus, please see Coronavirus Information | Mansfield, MA (mansfieldma.com)

If you test positive for COVID-19 (isolate)

On December 28, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortened the recommended time for isolation for individuals with COVID-19.

If the individual shows no symptoms, the recommended isolation period is shortened from 10 days to 5 days, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others. Day zero would be either the first day your symptoms started or the day of your positive test, whichever was first.

Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and reduce the impact of COVID-19 on our communities.

Everyone, regardless of vaccination status:

Stay home for 5 days.
If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days, you can leave your house.
Continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.

If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves.

You can find more information in these documents on isolation rules for positive persons:

Note: The updated isolation guidance applies to K-12 schools.

If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19 (quarantine):

If you have been notified that you are a close contact of a positive person (within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes cumulatively for 24hrs) then you will need to quarantine for a number of days. There are several options on the length of quarantine depending on several factors.

For individuals unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second Pfizer or Moderna dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted who have been exposed to COVID-19, the CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days.

Alternatively, if a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure. Individuals who have received their booster do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.

For all those exposed, best practice would also include a test for SARS-CoV-2 at day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.

If you:

Have been boosted
OR
Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last 6 months
OR
Completed the primary series of J&J vaccine within the last 2 months

Wear a mask around others for 10 days.
Test on day 5, if possible.

If you develop symptoms get a test and stay home.

If you:

Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine over 6 months ago and are not boosted
OR
Completed the primary series of J&J over 2 months ago and are not boosted
OR
Are unvaccinated

Stay home for 5 days. After that continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
If you can’t quarantine you must wear a mask for 10 days.
Test on day 5, if possible.

If you develop symptoms get a test and stay home

That information can be found in the following documents:

Note: At this time, quarantine guidance for K-12 schools remains unchanged. DESE’s current mask requirement and Policy on Vaccination Rate Threshold remains in effect.

The State of Massachusetts has a great resource page here with step by step of what you should do if you have or have been exposed to Covid 19: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/what-to-do-if-you-have-or-have-been-exposed-to-covid-19

For any further information on the above isolation and quarantine please call 508-851-6459 or email publichealth@mansfieldma.com

Non school related sports:

In all non-school related sports, it is the responsibility of the Sports Organization to notify team members of the exposure. Positive cases require contact tracing for close contacts. A close contact is defined as:

You are a close contact of a COVID-19 positive person if you were within 6 feet of them while indoors, for at least 15 minutes, while they were symptomatic or within the 48 hours before symptom onset.
You are also a close contact if you were within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes of someone while indoors, who tested positive for COVID-19 in the 48 hours before their test was taken or anytime in the 10 days after the test.

For Sports Organizers- If there is a COVID-19 positive team member in your organization who participated in a team activity within their contagious period (48 hours before symptom onset or if no symptoms, testing positive for COVID):

Notify the team immediately of the exposure. Unless the organization has set up definitive cohorts for practices, the entire team should be considered a close contact. If the exposure occurred during a game where social distancing was not possible, both teams should be considered close contacts.
With the notification, include the following points:
- Unvaccinated team members must quarantine for at least 7 days as long as they test negative on day 5 or later. Even if the close contact is a student of Mansfield Public Schools, it is the parents’ responsibility to contact the appropriate school nurse to explain that the child will be quarantining due to COVID exposure. The school nurses will not be notified of the student athletes’ exposure by the Health Department. Direct the parents to the following website for more information about quarantine Information and Guidance for Persons in Quarantine due to COVID-19 | Mass.gov
- Fully vaccinated team members (at least 2 weeks past the 2^nd shot) and individuals who had COVID-19 in the last 90 days (from day of symptom onset or day of first positive test if asymptomatic) do not have to quarantine. Students in either of these categories can continue to attend school even after a close contact exposure. Fully vaccinated team members should still monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days following an exposure. If the close contact experiences symptoms, they should isolate from others, contact their primary care provider, and be tested for COVID-19. Breakthrough cases make up about 30-50% of cases here in Mansfield so it is recommended after close contact that fully vaccinated team members get tested 3-5 post exposure in the event that they are asymptomatic.
Please explain to the parent that the Mansfield School Test and Stay Program is only for in school exposure to COVID-19. A student does not qualify for the Test and Stay program if they are exposed at a youth sports event. If there is an exposure outside of school, the student must quarantine at home.

Please send the Health Department a list of the Mansfield residents who are unvaccinated close contacts. This can be sent to Health@mansfieldma.com. Any questions can be directed to Amy Donovan-Palmer, Health Director/Agent.

School age children:

Please see the info below if your child attends a Mansfield school and has been identified as a positive case or close contact:

Mansfield Public Schools Health Services Staff is available to families to answer questions you may have about symptoms, testing and vaccination resources. If your child is symptomatic, has been designated as a close contact, or you have general questions, please call your school nurse.

Click here for Mansfield Schools Covid Protocol

SCHOOL NURSE INFORMATION

Director of Health Services:

Christine Dooling, MSN, RN

Phone: (508) 261-7559

Christine.Dooling@mansfieldschools.com

Mansfield High School:

Betsy Savoie, MSN, RN

Christine Harrison, BSN, RN, NCSN

Phone: (508) 261-7540 x3311/33121

Fax: (508) 261-7416

Betsy.Savoie@mansfieldschools.com or Christine.Harrison@mansfieldschools.com