Dear Damascus High School Community,

This letter is to inform you that we were notified that several students and staff tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). These are all the cases we have been made aware of as of this afternoon. Moving forward during break, if your student does test positive, please report that here. Please click here for the MCPS community message. Anyone who tests positive after 12/23 cannot return on 1/3 and anyone unvaccinated who is exposed after 12/27 can’t return until 1/4. Below are those positive cases; 

• A staff member who was last present Friday, December 17, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 21, we were notified on December 21,
• a student in grade 11, who was last present on December 21, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 21, we were notified on December 21,
• a student in grade 11, who was last present on December 20, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 20, we were notified on December 20,  
• a student in grade 10, who was last present on December 15, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 20, we were notified on December 21,
• a student in grade 10, who was last present on December 17, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 21, we were notified on December 21,
• a student in grade 10, who was last present on December 17, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 20, we were notified on December 21,
• a student in grade 9, who was last present on December 17, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 19, we were notified on December 21,
• a student in grade 9, who was last present on December 22, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 22, we were notified on December 22,
• a student in grade 12, who was last present on December 20, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 22, we were notified on December 22,
• a student in grade 12, who was last present on December 17, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 21, we were notified on December 21,
• a student in grade 11, who was last present on December 20, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 22, we were notified on December 22,
• a student in grade 9, who was last present on December 20, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 20, we were notified on December 20,
• a student in grade 12, who was last present on December 16, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 17, we were notified on December 17,
• a student in grade 11, who was last present on December 20, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 21, we were notified on December 21,
• a student in grade 12, who was last present on December 21, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 21, we were notified on December 22,
• a student in grade 9, who was last present on December 17, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 20, we were notified on December 20,
• a student in grade 9, who was last present on December 21, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 22, we were notified on December 22,
• a student in grade 12, who was last present on December 14, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 20, we were notified on December 20,
• a student in grade 9, who was last present on December 16, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 20, we were notified on December 21,
• a student in grade 12, who was last present on December 20, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 22, we were notified on December 22,
• a student in grade 11, who was last present on December 20, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 21, we were notified on December 22,
• a student in grade 11, who was last present on December 21, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 21, we were notified on December 21,
• a student in grade 10, who was last present on December 21, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 22, we were notified on December 22,
• a student in grade 12, who was last present on December 22, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 22, we were notified on December 22,
• a student in grade 12, who was last present on December 20, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 20, we were notified on December 21,
• a student in grade 12, who was last present on December 13, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 16, we were notified on December 17,
• a student in grade 9, who was last present on December 17, tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) on December 20, we were notified on December 21,

Following Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) guidelines, we notified individuals who were known to have close contact with these individuals and have informed them to quarantine and monitor for symptoms, per CDC guidelines. 

Per current DHHS guidance and our contact tracing process, unless you are notified directly, your child does not need to quarantine as they were not in close contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19.  Please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/appendix.html#contact for additional information on how the CDC, MCPS and DHHS, defines and identifies close contacts.

We encourage you to closely monitor your child for symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, cough, headache, and shortness of breath. If your child develops any of these symptoms, do not send them to school. You should contact your healthcare provider and have your child tested for COVID-19. Please contact the school if your child develops COVID-19-like symptoms. Students who develop symptoms, or test positive for COVID-19, will not be able to return to the building until they are medically cleared.

As a reminder, here are the steps that we can all take to keep ourselves, families, and school community safe:

• Get vaccinated when eligible
• Wear a mask, or appropriate face covering, at all times when in school and other public spaces.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially before and after eating.
• Cover your cough and/or sneeze and immediately wash your hands for 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer.
• Stay home if you are sick or have any COVID-19 symptoms.

Please visit  https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/coronavirus and https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/ for additional information on COVID-19 resources, including free COVID-19 testing and COVID-19 vaccination sites. 

We appreciate your cooperation as we work to maintain a safe and healthy school environment.