WCC COVID-19 Policy

WCC encourages best practices to avoid and stop the spread of COVID including masks and vaccinations. All WCC staff are required to be vaccinated as a condition of employment. Student vaccinations are not required but suggested.

Please be sure to pay attention to any COVID symptoms, test when necessary, and keep your child home if they are sick.

Below you will find WCC’s COVID Policy. Please reach out if you have any questions. We are your partners in preventing COVID-19 and are grateful for your compliance and assistance to maintain a safe environment for all. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

These updated guidelines for school and childcare programs were developed by the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). This guidance document provides recommendations for use by local school systems, nonpublic schools, childcare programs, and local health departments to assist with decision-making about prevention strategies for decreasing transmission of infectious diseases, including SARS-CoV-2, in school and childcare settings.

Please note that the attached guidance replaces all previous school and childcare guidance documents issued by MDH and MSDE in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schools and childcare programs should stress and frequently reinforce that staff and students/children who have symptoms of an infectious illness such as COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and gastrointestinal infections, should not attend or work in a school or childcare program and should be tested for COVID-19 if appropriate. Staff and families should be instructed to notify the school or childcare program when a staff or student/child has a reportable infectious disease, including a positive test for COVID-19. Schools and childcare programs must continue to follow existing procedures for reporting certain diseases (COMAR 10.06.01) including COVID-19 to the local health department.

When a person becomes ill during the day while at school or childcare, they should be moved to a room or other space that allows separation from well persons and provides the appropriate level of safety and supervision for an ill student/child. Placement of a well-fitting mask on a person with symptoms of an infectious respiratory illness should be considered. Schools and childcare programs should set the expectation for timely pick up of students/children who are ill.

It is recommended that persons with symptoms of COVID-19 should be tested. If the test is negative, they may return when symptoms are improved, they have no fever for twenty-four hours without medication, and applicable criteria in the Communicable Diseases Summary have been met.

All persons who test positive for COVID-19 or have suspected COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, should complete isolation as follows:

  • Stay home for at least five full days from the date of symptom onset if symptomatic or from the date of the positive test if no symptoms.
    • Day zero is considered the day symptoms started in symptomatic persons or the day of the positive test (based on the date of testing) if asymptomatic.
  • After day five, if the person has no symptoms or if symptoms are improved and they have had no fever for at least twenty-four hours without medication, they may return to school or childcare if they wear a well-fitting mask* for five additional days (day six through day ten).
    • If they are unable to wear a mask, they may return to school or childcare if they have a negative test at day five or later; otherwise, they should remain at home for day six through day ten. A negative test at day ten or after is not needed to return.

*Masks do not need to be worn in schools or childcare programs while eating, drinking, sleeping or outside.