At this time, Royal ISD will resume regular, in-person instruction as planned on Thursday, January 6, 2022. The omicron variant has been surging across the United States and has generally been less severe and deadly than the earlier delta variant. We have the tools to fight the omicron variant: vaccines/boosters, masks, and testing. Royal ISD will continue to offer free on-site COVID testing for our employees and students, whether you were recently exposed or just want to be confident going back to school. Contact your child’s campus nurse for details.
“The rising numbers of COVID-19 cases due to multiple variants are cause for concern. The safety of our students, employees, and community are our highest priority,” stated RISD Superintendent Rick Kershner. “We will continue utilizing the RISD Safety Alert Levels to determine next steps.”
Masks
Because face mask mandates are not legally permissible in Texas, face masks continue to be optional for all students and staff. Due to the high transmission rate of the Omicron variant, masks are strongly encouraged while indoors on our campuses.
Self-Monitoring for Symptoms
Students and staff must monitor daily for symptoms of COVID-19 and stay home when sick. If COVID-19 symptoms are experienced, individuals must not report to work or school, and should test for COVID-19 or consult with a licensed healthcare provider. CLICK HERE to access the CDC Self-Check tool. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Hand Hygiene
Students and staff will be frequently reminded to wash hands thoroughly and often, cover coughs and sneezes, and use hand sanitizer throughout the day.
Royal will provide additional updates as they become available.