Updated ODH guidance loosens quarantine requirements for school, sports:
https://www.richlandsource.com/education/updated-odh-guidance-loosens-quarantine-requirements-for-school-sports/article_11bb2ace-35ad-11ec-ae7a-5393df0a15d0.html
Operation Christmas Child draws from the good will of Richland, Crawford County:
https://www.richlandsource.com/life_and_culture/operation-christmas-child-draws-from-the-good-will-of-richland-crawford-county/article_d82813a2-38e1-11ec-b7e9-6752cc62abca.html
Gloria Harwell:
https://www.richlandsource.com/obituaries/gloria-harwell/article_0c9ed962-38c5-11ec-b462-a72d1dc778d7.html
The Ohio Department of Health released updated quarantine guidelines last week for those exposed to COVID-19 in a school setting. So what will this mean for students?
Before we begin,
We’d like to take a moment to thank our Sponsors at First Federal Community Bank. Today, First Federal Community Bank wants you to meet Travis Smith, Assistant Vice President in Commercial Banking, as he continues to help Mansfield area business owners and investors expand their business or start a new one.
Travis thrives on being a resource for the community to explore all of their business banking needs through a collaborative approach. Together you’ll talk about the resources available to meet your goals. First Federal Community Bank looks forward to collaborating with more local business, owners and investors soon. Equal Housing Lender, Member FDIC.
The Ohio Department of Health released updated quarantine guidelines Monday for anyone exposed to COVID-19 in a school setting. Mask-to-stay and test-to-play guidance will allow students exposed in the classroom or another school setting to continue going to classes with certain precautionary measures in place. What’s the Mask-to-Stay option? Well, it will allow students exposed to COVID-19 in the classroom or another school setting to continue attending in-person classes… as long as they… Remain asymptomatic, Wear a mask for 14 days after their last date of exposure, Monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, and finally, as long as they isolate and get tested if they start to experience symptoms. Students and staff will be able to end their masking and quarantine early if they don’t develop symptoms and also test negative between five and seven days after exposure.
And then there’s the Test-to-Play guidance. This will allow students exposed in a school-related setting to continue participating in extracurricular activities, including sports, if they….Test negative for COVID-19 upon initial notification of exposure, Wear a mask, and also test negative between five and seven days after exposure. Either PCR or rapid antigen tests can be used under this new guidance, but it can’t be a self-administered test.
Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health, noted the guidance is optional; schools do not have to adopt the guidelines and parents can opt out. But Vanderhoff said the new guidance is based on data that the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools is much lower than other settings, especially when students are wearing masks. He said the new guidance is possible because schools can create a structured environment with multiple COVID-19 mitigation strategies in place.
Meanwhile, Guidance that allows those who are fully vaccinated and those who consistently wear masks in school to remain in the classroom following a school-related exposure has not changed. Those students can end their quarantine after a negative test three or five days after exposure. Representatives from Richland Public Health said the agency will adopt the new guidelines and recommend them to schools; but it’s ultimately up to school districts to make their own policies.
Vanderhoff also shared that the FDA and CDC may approve a new Pfizer vaccine for younger children in the coming weeks. He explained that the vaccine for this age group is not simply a smaller dose of the adult vaccine. It’s actually a pediatric vaccine with a different formulation.
Next, some local history. Did you know that the Marvin Library in Shelby is named for Daniel Marvin, a veteran of the American Civil War? He was the son of Stephen and Sarah Marvin who built the first frame house in Shelby. Daniel studied law, went to California during the gold rush, then returned to Ohio by the outbreak of the Civil War. Marvin participated in the battles of Shiloh & Stone River, where he was severely wounded. After recovering, he went on to practice law for many years and purchased the house on West Whitney Avenue for $6,500. Marvin presented it to the city in the early 1900s and his generosity to the city was so greatly appreciated that they named the library after him.
Next, from Knox Pages – Operation Christmas Child of Central Ohio is kicking off its preparation for Collection week from November 15th to the 22nd. The organization said: “It’s exciting to see churches, youth groups, community groups and individuals begin filling their boxes with goodies to send to children in many areas of the world that are hard hit by weather, drought conditions and war.”
One of the churches in this area that serves as an outstanding example is Chester Baptist, a small church made up of about 20 members near Chesterville. That church has already filled and packed over 1,700 boxes. They are hoping to fill 1,700 more by Collection week. For them, Operation Christmas Child is a yearlong mission. In spite of the pandemic in 2020, over 9 million shoe boxes were collected worldwide. For their part, the Central Ohio District, made up of the six counties, Ashland, Crawford, Richland, Marion, Morrow, and Knox collected and sent over 17,000 boxes to the Processing Center in Charlotte, North Carolina to be shipped overseas.
For more information and a list of Drop Off sites head over to samaritanspurse.org.
Finally, we’d like to take a moment to remember Gloria Harwell who may have left this physical world but will remain in the hearts of those who knew and loved her forever.
Gloria was an active person with many areas of interest. In her youth, she became a model and eventually moved on to the business world. Her love for books and reading was fed by her work at the library while in her teens. One of her favorite things to do was volunteering at the Rehab Center and she served them for 25 years.
She enjoyed her involvement in IRL racing for several years and loved jogging, tennis and being a member of the YMCA. She leaves behind her partner in life of 40 years, Paul “Stix” Strickland as well as many friends who knew and loved her.
“She whom we have loved and we have lost, is no longer where she was before, she is now where we are.” Thank you for taking a moment with us to remember and celebrate Gloria’s life.
