As you all have experienced, the COVID-19 situation is ever evolving and changing, as are best practices and health safety guidance. One such change Wild Whatcom is making for spring programming will be an update to our drop-off procedure.
After careful consideration, research, and discussion with our staff team we will stop performing on-site COVID-19 screenings and temperature checks effective April 12, 2021 and instead will move to an "attestation model" for COVID-19 symptom screenings. This means that by bringing your child(ren) to Wild Whatcom programming, you are attesting that:
The participant(s) are symptom-free, including symptoms attributed to COVID-19, and
The participant(s) have not been in close contact with anyone with confirmed COVID-19 or had a positive COVID-19 test in the last 10 days, and
A public health or medical professional has not recommended the participant(s) or household members self-monitor, self-isolate, or self-quarantine due to concerns about a COVID-19 infection.
Signs and symptoms of COVID-19:
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
New loss of taste or smell
New, persistent dry cough
Fever ≥ 100.4 F
Repeated shaking with chills
Muscle pain or body aches
Nausea/vomiting
Persistent new diarrhea (longer than 24 hrs)
Congestion or runny nose (not related to seasonal allergies)
Headache
Sore throat
Significant fatigue
What does this change look like practically?
We will continue to ask that families either stay with their vehicles OR wait to check their child(ren) in by standing on the social distancing markers that will be placed prior to arrival.
Mentors will be greeting families to ask if participants or anyone at home are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 without listing individual symptoms or taking temperatures.
Mentors will still visually assess participants for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 pre-outing and during the outing.
If a participant displays or discloses any of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 without an alternative explanation or pre-existing condition, the participant will not be able to attend the outing.
Why are we changing this process?
There is limited evidence such screenings are effective.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) does not currently recommend routine (such as daily) school-based COVID-19 symptom screening of all students.
Children infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 are more likely than adults to be asymptomatic or to have only mild symptoms (source).
Even with repeated reminders, this screening process has led to families congregating at drop off, especially due to the length of waiting time required for us to complete a full screening for each participant.
Temperature/symptom checks require mentors to come into close contact with participants.
Our community is now more educated about COVID-19 signs and symptoms.
Symptoms questions are sometimes hard for children to understand or answer.
We have been encouraged by the fact that almost all disclosures or concerns about ill/symptomatic children have been offered voluntarily prior to drop-off screening.
An updated version of our COVID-19 Risk Management Plan for Families and Participants can be found on our COVID-19 page. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any comments, concerns, or questions to info@wildwhatcom.org.