• Find a vaccination location

• What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters in Massachusetts

• COVID-19 Treatments and Medications

• COVID-19 information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Holyoke Public Schools follows guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Public Health (DPH), and public health officials in implementing established health and safety measures.

The community is encouraged to continue self-testing at home and to continued safety efforts such as getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu, staying home when sick, performing good hand washing, and using alcohol-based hand sanitizers regularly. 

HPS carefully considers evolving health data concerning COVID-19 cases in Holyoke and Massachusetts.  District leaders work closely with the Holyoke Board of Health to review health data and regularly reviewing the district's COVID-19 management plans.  The Massachusetts Department of Public Health provides up-to-date COVID-19 health metrics for cities and towns weekly. 

• Stay home when you feel sick or have symptoms of a cold or flu-like illness.

• Consult your healthcare provider or an urgent-care center as needed. 

• Notify your building nurse of any respiratory illnesses you may be experiencing. 

• Practice good hand hygiene, cough or sneeze into your sleeve, avoid crowded areas, maintain distance between yourself and others where possible, and teach these practices to your children and students.

If you have new symptoms of a respiratory virus, such as a fever, sore throat, cough, or a runny or stuffy nose, you should stay home and stay away from others in your household. You should stay home even if you don’t know which virus is making you sick. 

If you develop any respiratory symptoms: 

If you have a fever or any other symptoms of respiratory illness, you should stay home. You may begin to resume normal activities with some precautions when:

• You have not had a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines; AND

• Your symptoms are improving again.

While you are staying at home:

Get tested for COVID-19 and flu. Talk to your healthcare provider about getting treatment if you test positive.

• Stay away from others in your household. Wear a mask when you have to be around them.

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.

• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.  Use a tissue or your inner elbow, not your hands.

• Clean high-touch surfaces (such as countertops, handrails, and doorknobs) often.

When you start to feel better:

You may resume normal activities with precautions if: 

• You have not had a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines; AND 

• Your other symptoms are improving.

Continue to take precautions:

You may still be able to spread the virus that made you sick, even if you are feeling better. So take these extra precautions for at least the first 5 days after you resume normal activities:

• Avoid crowded indoor spaces. Wear a mask anytime you are indoors around other people 

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.

• Cover your coughs and sneezes.

• Avoid spending time with people who are at increased risk for severe disease, which may include older adults; those with chronic underlying health conditions such as heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease; young children, especially under 2 years old; people with weakened immune systems; those with disabilities; pregnant women; and others. 

If your symptoms return or worsen: 

If your fever comes back or any other symptoms worsen, you should return and stay home until you are feeling better again. Wait to resume normal activities until you have not had a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines AND your symptoms are improving again. Continue to take the precautions listed above.

If you have tested positive for a respiratory virus but do not have any symptoms:

You can still spread the virus, so follow the precautions listed above to protect others from getting sick. Although not required, choosing to stay home for about 72 hours after testing positive without symptoms may help reduce the chances that you spread the virus to others. You should also ake the recommended extra precautions during the next 5 days:

• Avoid crowded indoor spaces.

• Wear a mask indoors around other people.

• Wash your hands often.

• Cover your coughs and sneezes.

If you were exposed to someone with a respiratory virus illness:

If you have been exposed to someone with a respiratory virus, you do not need to stay home as long as you remain asymptomatic. However, you should be aware that you may be able to spread a respiratory virus before developing symptoms.

To protect others, especially those with risk factors for severe illness, take precautions: 

• Wash your hands often.

• Consider wearing a mask and avoiding crowded places.

• Monitor yourself for symptoms carefully.

• Stay home if you start to develop any signs of illness.

Protecting people with risk factors for severe illness from respiratory viruses:

When you are sick from a respiratory virus, you may spread germs for about 10 days after your symptoms start or after a positive test, even if you don’t have symptoms.

Be aware that some people around you may have risk factors for more severe disease. Masking, physical distancing, hand hygiene, and covering your coughs and sneezes help protect them.

People at increased risk can include: 

• Older adults 

• Individuals with chronic underlying medical conditions, for example, heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease 

• Young children, especially those under 2 years old 

• People with weakened immune systems 

• People with disabilities 

• Pregnant people 

Recognize that young children may not always be able to wear a mask effectively.

School health offices are healthcare settings. School nurses and other health office staff should follow the HPS guidance for healthcare settings.   

If you are a parent or guardian and wish to speak with a nurse or notify the school nurse of a positive COVID-19 status, contact your child’s school nurse. You should also contact your healthcare provider as needed.

Staff members who have questions or test positive for COVID-19, influenza, or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) should contact their building's school nurse. Central Office and Central Supply staff should send an Email to Nurse Amie and provide contact information so she can get back to you. In addition to contacting the nurse, staff must notify their supervisor and HR generalist. Contact your healthcare provider as needed.