ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Students who attended an Issaquah High School home football game on Sept. 10 are being asked to get a COVID-19 test after "a few" tested positive and were infectious at the time.
High school administration have notified all close contacts, according to a letter to families. However, Public Health - Seattle & King County is recommending all students who attended that game get tested.
The department is also telling students to be "extra vigilant" in monitoring for symptoms over the next 10 days and wear a mask, even when outdoors.
"While we are excited we've been able to offer a robust return to school experience, that can't come at a cost to student safety," the letter signed by school Principal Erin Connolly states. "If we continue to have concerns about mask compliance at extra-curricular events, we may have to explore making changes such as eliminating concession sales and/or reducing spectator sizes. We ask for your help in continuing to communicate the expectation that all spectators wear masks, even when outdoors at school events so we can keep enjoying celebrating our student athletes together."
Face coverings or masks are required when indoors at K-12 facilities for everyone, regardless of vaccination status – with a few exceptions based on age, development or disability. Face coverings or masks are not required outdoors unless there is an event with more than 500 people. However, they are strongly recommended for unvaccinated people in crowded spaces or when in close contact with people from outside their household.
Schools are required to have a COVID-19 response and communication plan in place that includes communication with school staff, families, the school district and the local health authority.
An outbreak is considered when the following have been met:
- There are two or more cases among students or staff
- The cases have a symptom onset or positive test result within a 14-day period of each other
- The cases are epidemiologically linked
- The cases do not share a household
- The cases are not identified as close contacts of each other in another setting during the investigation