How many people need to get sick before a N.J. school closes? Here’s the state’s ‘matrix.’ - NJ.com

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The first students returned to New Jersey classrooms this week with masks, temperature checks, social distancing measures in the classroom — and lingering questions about what will happen when one of them shows COVID-19 symptoms.

State officials are hoping detailed local reopening plans and lengthy safety guidelines will help ensure students and teachers are not spreading the coronavirus at school. But, the state Department of Health has issued schools 19 pages of advice on what to do if someone tests positive for COVID-19.

The guidelines, sent to school officials last month, include a series of charts explaining when schools should shut down classrooms or entire school buildings. Each “matrix” gives possible scenarios and how schools and local health departments should respond.

“This guidance is based on what is currently known about the transmission and severity of COVID-19 and is subject to change as additional information is known,” the guidelines say.

School districts have the option of instituting more stringent rules, if they wish.

With about 500 New Jersey school districts reopening with at least some in-person classes, Gov. Phil Murphy said earlier this week he plans to publicly review the health matrices at one of his upcoming coronavirus press briefings to help explain to families what will happen if a student or teacher tests positive.

Among the recommendations:

— If there is one confirmed COVID-19 case in a school, the school can remain open. But students and staff who came into close contact with the infected person must stay home for 14 days.

— If there are two cases in the same classroom, students and staff who came in contact with that person must stay home for 14 days. A public health investigation will determine if the whole classroom should be considered exposed and quarantined.

— If there are two or more cases in different classrooms and no clear link between them (such as the students being in the same family or attending the same event), the school should close for 14 days.

— If there are two or more cases in different classrooms but they are clearly linked outside of school (such as students being siblings or attending the same party), the school can remain open. But those who came into close contact should stay home for 14 days.

— If there are two or more cases in different classrooms clearly linked to an in-school activity (such as a sports team or club), the local health department should recommend whether the school should be closed based on an investigation.

— If there is a significant community outbreak outside the school, such as people working for local company testing positive or multiple cases traced to a local event, the school should consider closing for 14 days based on the results of a local health investigation even if there are no cases in its classrooms.

The state Department of Health issued 19 pages of guidelines that include several matrices to help schools decide what to do if students or teachers test positive for COVID-19.

It gets more complicated when students or teachers show symptoms of COVID-19, but either haven’t been tested or don’t have the results yet, according to the guidelines. In that case, the state matrix says the school should require the person to stay home for 14 days if the district is in a region the state considers a moderate or high risk for the virus.

The guidelines detail a color-coded coronavirus tracking system that divides the state into six regions. Each region will be assigned a color (green, yellow, orange or red) every week based on the virus risk in the area.

If the virus rate and health data in any one region gets too high, the state could tell all schools in that region to close their buildings, state officials said.

The COVID-19 Regional Risk Matrix divides the state into:

— Northwest: Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Warren

— Northeast: Bergen, Essex, Hudson

— Central West: Hunterdon, Mercer, Somerset

— Central East: Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Union

— Southwest: Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem

— Southeast: Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland

As of Wednesday, 434 New Jersey school districts planned to open with a hybrid model combining in-person and remote learning, while 242 will open all-remote with students doing assignments at home, state officials said.

Only 68 school districts will have all in-person classes and 22 will have some combination of schools with in-person, hybrid and remote learning. (The numbers include both public school districts, charter schools and some private schools that serve students with disabilities supervised by the state, officials said.)

All families in public schools also have the option of keeping their children home and requesting a remote learning plan if they don’t feel safe attending in-person classes, state officials said.

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Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com.

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How many people need to get sick before a N.J. school closes? Here’s the state’s ‘matrix.’ - NJ.com
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