Coronavirus Information

List of 15 frequently asked questions.

• Q. What are the daily health screenings?

  By entering campus all students, faculty, staff and visitors self certify that

  • I have not received a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 in the past five days.
  • I am not currently under an order of quarantine.
  • I have not experienced any cold or flu-like symptoms in the last fove days. If I have experienced any COVID-19 symptoms in the last five days, I have since received a negative COVID-19 test result.

  If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of your vaccination status, you must stay home and get tested.

• Q. Do students, faculty, staff and visitors have to wear a mask while on campus?

  Effective Thursday, February 10, 2022, masks are optional while on campus for all students, faculty, staff and visitors. Anyone who wishes to continue to wear a mask in school is encouraged to do so. We support everyone’s decision regarding the regular use of masks.

• Q. Do students have to submit proof of vaccination?

  Yes. If you have not already done so, please submit a copy of your child's completed COVID vaccine card to healthforms@loy.org. Proof of vaccine will be extremely helpful for contact tracing purposes. Please re-submit COVID vaccine cards to reflect additional boosters.

• Q. When should I keep my child home?

  Any student vaccinated or unvaccinated, experiencing even one symptom of COVID-19 including moderate to severe headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue from unknown cause, cough, fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, body aches, loss of sense of taste or smell, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, must stay home and get tested.
  
  If you receive a negative test result, you may return to school as long as you have been fever free for 24 hours and have an improvement of symptoms.
  
  If you test positive, please let the nurse know by emailing nurse@loy.org If anyone in your household is experiencing any COVID symptoms and you are unvaccinated, you must stay home until a test result for the person who is experiencing symptoms is received. If the ill person tested negative, anyone in the household may return to school. Vaccinated individuals do not have to quarantine if someone in their household tests positive or is experiencing symptoms.
  

• Q. What if I test positive for COVID-19?

  • Quarantine at home for five days from start of symptoms; if you do not have symptoms, quarantine five days since your positive test date. Strict masking for an additional five days.
  • Isolate the COVID-19 positive person alone in a room away from others.
  • Report any positive case or close contact exposures to Loyola’s school nurse, Mrs. Corry Braasch at nurse@loy.org.
  • Strick masking must be maintained for the next five days after isolation.
  • May return to on campus classes and activities on day six after the five day quarantine is complete, AND the infected person is fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medicine AND other symptoms of COVID are improving. Masking is required when returning on days 6–10. If you cannot mask or do not want to mask, then you must stay home for the full 10 days.
  • A negative COVID test is not needed after testing positive and the five day quarantine is complete before returning.

• Q. What should I do if I'm told to quarantine?

  Notify the school nurse about your exposure. Loyola Academy’s policy states that five days of quarantine are required for students, faculty and staff that test positive and also for unvaccinated individuals who are deemed to be a close contact exposure. Both situations require the permission of the nurse’s office to return to school.

• Q. What do I do if someone in my household tests positive?

  • Every unvaccinated family member in the same household must quarantine five days from the last day of exposure to the individual who tested positive.
  • Vaccinated individuals or individuals who can show proof of a positive COVID test within 90 days of the date exposed do not have to quarantine, even if a household family member tests positive as long as they remain asymptomatic.
  • The individual who tested positive for COVID-19 must be isolated from the rest of the family members in his or her own room or space.
  • Notify our school nurse Mrs. Braasch at nurse@loy.org about any exposure to a positive case at home.

• Q. What is Loyola's quarantine policy if I test positive or am unvaccinated?

  Loyola Academy’s policy states that five days of quarantine are required for students, faculty and staff that test positive and also for unvaccinated individuals who are deemed to be a close contact exposure. Both situations require the permission of the nurse’s office to return to school.

• Q. What should I do when my quarantine is over?

  When the quarantine is over, the individual may return to school as long as that person has been fever free for 24 hours and has no symptoms or an improvement of symptoms (if tested positive). Please make sure you check with the school nurse on your agreed upon return date before returning. You can email the nurse at nurse@loy.org.

• Q. What do I do if I decide to get tested for COVID-19?

  Self-quarantine/isolate at home until you have received your test results. If the test result is positive, isolate at home for five days from the positive test date or the onset of symptoms (if you are experiencing symptoms). Report any positive case to our school nurse, Mrs. Corry Braasch at nurse@loy.org.

• Q. What type of COVID test results are acceptable?

  Antigen, PCR or rapid PCR tets are acceptable.

• Q. Does my child need to receive regular COVID-19 testing?

  Per IDPH and ISBE guidance for schools, unvaccinated students will be subject to randomized weekly COVID-19 testing. Randomized testing will be conducted confidentially through the Nurse's office during free periods.

• Q. What are Loyola Academy guidelines for school-sponsored overnight travel (e.g. retreats, service opportunities, athletic tournaments, etc.)?

  As of Thursday, February 10, 2022, all students, regardless of their vaccination status, are eligible to participate in school-sponsored overnight trips. Students are expected to avoid participation when experiencing COVID symptoms. 
  
  Students will not be COVID tested before and after overnight travel experiences.

• Q. What are Loyola Academy's personal travel guidelines?

  Students and employees who plan to travel internationally or domestically should use caution and evaluate travel plans at this time.
  
  Individuals should follow the Cook County Department of Public Health travel guidance.
  
  For international travel, students and families should follow these steps:

  • Consult the CDC website for updates and restrictions.
  • Test 3-5 days upon return to the US after travel, regardless of vaccination status.
  • Unvaccinated students are required to quarantine for five days.

  
  If you do choose to travel, please follow all safety precautions and guidelines of CCDPH and let the school nurse know if you have a travel quarantine to report by emailing nurse@loy.org.

• Q. If I test positive or the school asks me to quarantine, will I be able to attend class virtually?

  Full, in-person learning has proven to be invaluable, therefore, remote learning will not be provided for students who are absent for any reason. Absences will be excused for students who provide medical documentation of a positive test result or a required quarantine.
  
  When at home, students will have access to daily assignments in onCampus and will be able to share their progress with their teachers. Teachers will be available to provide information via email, and counselors will help students navigate the student’s return to school.