Boothbay Region Elementary and High School administrators have outlined precautions students and staff will be taking to reduce risks of spreading COVID-19. The precautions are consistent with Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.

All students and staff will be required to wear masks indoors and on buses regardless of vaccination status. Physical distancing of three feet will be required when possible and masks will be optional for outdoor activities. Visitors and volunteers will not be allowed to enter the building, though the schools will revisit this constantly and share any updates.

The schools will be following the Maine Department of Education’s standard operating procedures for contact tracing and quarantine. Close contacts are considered those who have been within six feet of a person who tested positive for COVID-19 and is still infectious. Quarantine from school, sports and extracurriculars will be for 10 days depending on the circumstances and nature of the exposure.

Exceptions to quarantine requirements include fully vaccinated students and staff and those who have had a positive COVID-19 test within 90 days. Students will not need to quarantine if exposed in the classroom where they are at least three feet apart while masked.

BRES and BRHS will no longer conduct daily symptom screening via the Ruvna app used last year. Instead, parents and guardians are asked to continue to monitor and screen students daily for COVID-19 symptoms before sending students to school. High touch areas and shared materials will undergo regular cleaning and sanitization.

Health staff will be conducting BiNax Now rapid antigen testing for students with consent from a parent or guardian. Tests would be conducted when symptoms consistent with COVID-19 are detected or students are identified as a close contact of a confirmed positive case. The tests will provide quick information about potential cases and help determine the next steps.

BRES and BRHS are also looking into pooled testing as a precaution. Students and staff participating in the program would be tested once a week and participants would not be required to quarantine if identified as a close contact.