Newport News Public Schools COVID-19 health and safety protocols address daily health screenings; cleaning and disinfecting; and educating students and staff on behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19 and hygiene practices.
The use of face masks is optional for all students and staff with the exception of individuals who develop symptoms of COVID-19 while at school or work, staff caring for symptomatic individuals, and individuals returning to school or work after isolation on days 6-10. For those who are unwilling/unable to mask on days 6-10 after 5 days of isolation, the VDH recommends two negative test results. The first test should be taken on day 6, and the second test should be taken 48 hours after the first test. Masks are also required for individuals showing symptoms of COVID-19 at school or work, and when individuals are returning to school or work after isolation.
COVID-19 Protocols
Newport News Public Schools has implemented the Virginia Department of Health's (VDH) updated guidance for schools.
Students and staff regardless of vaccination status, who develop any of the following symptoms should not report to school or work and should begin isolation at home and test for COVID-19 as recommended by their healthcare provider:
- Temperature of 100° F or higher
- Cough/shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Muscle/Body aches
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain
- New loss of taste or smell
- Poor feeding/loss of appetite in children
Individuals who choose not to test must isolate at home for 5 days after symptoms begin.
Individuals who choose to test for COVID-19 and/or see a medical provider may return sooner after providing proof of a negative test, alternative diagnosis or note from the provider indicating they are cleared to return, provided symptoms are improving and the individual has been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.
Positive COVID-19 Test Results
Everyone who tests positive, regardless of vaccination status, must isolate at home for at least 5 days. Individuals may leave isolation after day 5 if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving and they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications. Those who are able to wear a mask should do so from day 6 through day 10. For those who are unwilling or unable to mask, the VDH recommends 2 negative test results after 5 days of isolation. The first test should be taken on day 6, and the second test should be taken 48 hours after the first test.
COVID-19 Exposure/Close Contact
Quarantine is no longer recommended. Anyone, regardless of vaccination status, who has had close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19, may continue to attend school and work as long as symptoms have not developed. Masks are optional for the 10 days following exposure. The last day of exposure to the positive person is considered day 0. Individuals may consider testing on or after day 5 of the exposure (or sooner if symptoms develop). Anyone who develops symptoms after a known exposure should isolate and contact their medical provider.
Traditional contact tracing with quarantine and isolation may take place under the direction of regional and local epidemiologists if a school or facility is experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19.
As a community, we all must do our part to avoid the spread of COVID-19 and protect our learning and work environments.
COVID-19 Take-Home Test Kits
Newport News Public Schools is offering a new COVID-19 diagnostic at-home test option called BinaxNOW to staff and students. This testing option is available to all students and staff who develop any symptom of COVID-19 and must isolate, as well as those have been exposed to a positive individual and wish to test on or after day 5.
Test kits have been distributed to all schools and may be given to parents/guardians upon request when the symptomatic student is picked up from school. Symptomatic staff members may also receive a test kit.
The test is conducted at home via a telehealth session with a live medical professional as a guide. It is important that the test kit remain unopened until the test taker is directed to open the kit by a certified guide during the telehealth session. To maintain the integrity of the process, the certified guide will not proctor a session using an opened test kit.
More Information on Take-Home TestsCORE INDICATORS (last updated August 30, 2022)
Newport News Public Schools will continue to monitor COVID-19 community transmission. The health metrics provided below will be updated weekly based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC looks at the combination of three metrics — new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past 7 days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days — to determine the COVID-19 community level.
Level of Community Transmission in Newport News
| Low | Medium | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport News |
The COVID-19 case data provided below is updated once a week during the school year to reflect the positive cases from the previous week. Case data included here is for statistical purposes only and is not meant to serve as official notice of a positive COVID case. When a positive COVID case is reported, the school community (parents and staff) and/or worksite staff where the individual is assigned will be informed of the positive case via email, letter or phone call.
NNPS COVID Statistics* (last updated August 30, 2022)
*Data collected since September 7, 2021
Response and Reporting Protocol
The Health Services Department has identified procedures and actions to respond to the determination of suspected and diagnosed cases of COVID-19, and possible and identified close contacts. These protocols may necessitate waiting for medical/testing confirmation and may identify some unfounded cases and contacts that will not be included on the dashboard.
Positive Cases
Positive case data reflects staff members who are working in an NNPS building and students who are learning or participating in an approved activity in an NNPS building, and are or were in isolation for the amount of time currently recommended by the CDC due to a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 by a medical provider or positive test.
Please note that dates reflect the day that the individual was classified as meeting the case definition for COVID-19 and not the date an individual became ill.
The COVID-19 case data provided below is updated weekly.
Employees
Staff Working On-Site
Staff Positive COVID-19 Tests
Students
Students Learning On-Site
Student Positive COVID-19 Tests
| Cases Confirmed May 30 - June 3, 2022 | Employees: 45 | Students: 96 |
| Location | Staff Positive | Students Positive | Most Recent Reported Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admin Building | 31 | 6/1 | |
| Operations | 74 | 5/19 | |
| Staff Support (SSC) | 12 | 5/23 | |
| Denbigh ECC | 14 | 67 | 5/24 |
| Marshall ELC | 8 | 24 | 6/1 |
| Watkins ECC | 9 | 47 | 5/31 |
| Achievable Dream Academy | 16 | 37 | 5/31 |
| Carver Elementary | 14 | 46 | 5/31 |
| Charles Elementary | 4 | 44 | 5/26 |
| Deer Park Elementary | 4 | 72 | 6/2 |
| Discovery STEM | 15 | 13 | 5/19 |
| Dutrow Elementary | 7 | 53 | 6/1 |
| Gen. Stanford Elementary | 15 | 60 | 6/2 |
| Greenwood Elementary | 16 | 67 | 6/3 |
| Hidenwood Elementary | 10 | 46 | 6/3 |
| Hilton Elementary | 5 | 60 | 5/31 |
| Jenkins Elementary | 21 | 42 | 6/1 |
| Katherine Johnson (formerly Lee Hall) | 22 | 47 | 6/3 |
| Kiln Creek Elementary | 28 | 94 | 6/3 |
| knollwood meadows (formerly Nelson) | 21 | 75 | 6/1 |
| McIntosh Elementary | 8 | 50 | 5/27 |
| Newsome Park Elementary | 14 | 17 | 6/3 |
| Palmer Elementary | 18 | 46 | 6/3 |
| Richneck Elementary | 12 | 88 | 6/3 |
| Riverside Elementary | 10 | 51 | 6/3 |
| Sanford Elementary | 8 | 56 | 6/2 |
| Saunders Elementary | 14 | 35 | 5/30 |
| Sedgefield Elementary | 14 | 31 | 6/1 |
| Stoney Run (formerly Epes) | 17 | 25 | 6/3 |
| Yates Elementary | 15 | 71 | 6/1 |
| Ach. Dream Middle & High | 15 | 72 | 6/3 |
| Crittenden Middle | 16 | 43 | 6/3 |
| ella fitzgerald (formerly Dozier) | 34 | 184 | 6/3 |
| Gildersleeve Middle | 11 | 104 | 6/1 |
| Hines Middle | 17 | 52 | 6/3 |
| Huntington Middle | 2 | 18 | 5/17 |
| Passage Middle | 19 | 113 | 6/3 |
| BT Washington Middle | 10 | 85 | 6/1 |
| Denbigh High/aviation academy | 34 | 140 | 6/3 |
| Heritage High | 10 | 123 | 6/3 |
| Menchville High | 38 | 282 | 6/3 |
| Warwick High | 32 | 139 | 6/2 |
| Woodside High | 28 | 119 | 6/3 |
| Enterprise Academy | 4 | 7 | 4/29 |
| Gatewood Bldg. | 1 | 1 | 9/16 |
| Juvenile Detention | 2 | 1/7 | |
| New Horizons | |||
| Point Option | 6 | 5 | 5/27 |
| Telecomm (NNPS-TV) | 2 | 2/2 | |
| So.Morrison Learning Ctr. | |||
| Denbigh Learning Center |
The data above does not reflect staff members or students with suspected or COVID-like illnesses with no confirmation, staff and students who are working or learning remotely, or the number of close contacts of a confirmed case of COVID-19 who have been asked to quarantine for 10 days.
Key Mitigation Strategies Implemented at All Schools
NNPS has implemented the following mitigation measures to ensure the safety of staff and students:
- Daily COVID-19 Symptom Self-Screening (required for all staff and students)
- Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette
- Consistent cleaning and disinfection
- Air purification systems (where HVAC systems do not meet current ASHRAE standards)
- In-classroom health stations (cleaning supplies, hand-sanitizer, hand soap, disinfectant wipes and masks)
- Encouraging students and staff to receive the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine
Stay Informed
For timely, accurate information on the coronavirus, please visit:
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Questions: Call the VDH Hotline, 877-ASK-VDH3 (877-275-8343).
Health & Safety
Newport News Public Schools health and safety protocols address daily health screenings; physical distancing in classrooms; cleaning and disinfecting; the use of face masks; and educating students and staff on behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19 and hygiene practices.
Student, Staff & Visitor Self-Screening Questionnaire: Staff, students and visitors must conduct a self-screening questionnaire before coming to school or reporting to their worksite.
