Carolina Dance Center's Covid-19 Health and Safety Protocol
Effective June 12, 2021
The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has been declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is extremely contagious and is believed to spread mainly from person-to-person contact. As a result, federal, state, and local governments and federal and state health agencies have put in place recommended social distancing, occupancy restrictions and guidelines for businesses to follow.
Carolina Dance Center is committed to doing everything we possibly can to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The following are guidelines we are adopting based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. These guidelines/protocols may change as new recommendations and information become available. Any changes or updates to this protocol will be communicated to parents via email and posted here.
Dancer and Employee Wellness Checks
Carolina Dance Center will no longer be performing wellness checks as dancers enter the building. However, anyone showing the following signs of illness of any kind or who may have been exposed to Covid-19 should not enter the facility.
Effective June 12, 2021
The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has been declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is extremely contagious and is believed to spread mainly from person-to-person contact. As a result, federal, state, and local governments and federal and state health agencies have put in place recommended social distancing, occupancy restrictions and guidelines for businesses to follow.
Carolina Dance Center is committed to doing everything we possibly can to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The following are guidelines we are adopting based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. These guidelines/protocols may change as new recommendations and information become available. Any changes or updates to this protocol will be communicated to parents via email and posted here.
Dancer and Employee Wellness Checks
Carolina Dance Center will no longer be performing wellness checks as dancers enter the building. However, anyone showing the following signs of illness of any kind or who may have been exposed to Covid-19 should not enter the facility.
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Covid-19 Symptoms:
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*If there is any question as to whether your dancer should dance in person, err on the side of caution. “When in doubt, sit it out”.
Additional On-site Admittance Requirements
Per the Centers for Disease Control, “Exposure” to someone with COVID-19 means that you were in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 during their period of being infectious (48 hours prior to when symptoms began and the 10 days after symptoms began). Close contact can be any of the following (regardless of whether or not you are wearing a mask):
With all of our individuals in our facility wearing masks and practicing social distancing, we hope that we are minimizing the possibility of exposure to COVID-19. However, should a dancer or instructor be sent home with symptoms of COVID-19 during class, we will notify the parents of the children in the affected room of the possibility of exposure. We will not name the dancer or instructor, though please recognize that the dancers talk among themselves and we cannot control that. If that dancer or instructor later tests positive for COVID-19 and we are made aware, we will also notify all parents of the children in the affected room of the possibility of exposure (again, not naming that person), and it is still very likely that your dancer did not meet the definition of exposure. If someone at the studio tests positive for COVID-19 and was at the studio during the 2 days prior to the positive test or 2 days prior to symptoms starting, we ask that that individual or parents notify the studio so that we can notify the appropriate contacts (anyone who may have met the definition of exposure).
What to do if you are Exposed:
If you are exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, you should quarantine for 14 days after your last day of exposure with that person. This means the person with COVID-19 will likely be out of quarantine before you are. Getting a negative test will not prove that you do not have COVID-19 because the virus can take up to 14 days to incubate in your system and show symptoms or have a positive test. However, you can still be contagious during that time. Please contact your primary care provider with questions and please watch for symptoms of COVID-19. You will not be allowed in to the studio until after your quarantine period is up even if you get a negative test.
If you are exposed to someone with SUSPECTED COVID-19, please do not come to the studio until you know if the person actually has COVID-19 or not. If they do, please follow the quarantine guidelines above. If they do NOT have COVID-19 and you have no symptoms, you will be allowed back in the studio.
SCENARIOS FOR SYMPTOMS:
You have symptoms of COVID-19 and tested POSITIVE: you may return to the studio 10 days after your first symptoms plus 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever reducing medicine), AND symptom improvement, including coughing and shortness of breath. ***If you have a severe case, requiring hospitalization or with prolonged symptoms, your health care provider must determine when it is safe for you to return.
You have symptoms of COVID-19 and did not get tested: you may return to the studio 10 days after your first symptoms plus 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever reducing medicine), AND symptom improvement, including coughing and shortness of breath.
You have symptoms of COVID-19 and tested NEGATIVE: you may return to the studio after 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever reducing medicine), AND you have felt well for 24 hours.
You have symptoms of COVID-19 but they are symptoms of another confirmed diagnosis such as ear infection, sinus infection, strep throat, etc: you may return to the studio when your health care provider says that you are no longer infectious.
SCENARIO FOR POSITIVE COVID-19 TEST WITH NO SYMPTOMS:
You have a Positive COVID-19 test but you have no symptoms: you may return to the studio 10 days after the date of your positive test, assuming you did not develop symptoms. If you developed symptoms, the 10 days would start counting from the day the symptoms started and would need to add the 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever reducing medicine).
Please note that the information above was based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control website, the NC Department of Health and Human Services website and the StrongSchoolsNC Toolkit published by the NCDHHS. We will use this information to minimize exposure of COVID-19 to our dancers, their families, and our instructors. Please contact your healthcare provider if you think you or any member of your family has been exposed to or has symptoms of COVID-19 or if you have any other health concerns.
Additional On-site Admittance Requirements
- Face coverings are required at all times for employees, instructors and dancers ages 5 years and up. The nose and mouth must be fully covered. Masks with valves or vents, bandannas, and neck gaiters are not permitted as they do not provide suitable protection for others.
- The lobby and all common areas are CLOSED to all parents/guardians and siblings except for parents with dancers age 5 and younger. These parents may enter the building to drop off their dancer at the appropriate studio. They must then exit the facility and wait for their child to be brought to the main front doors when when class is finished.
- Parents will be allowed to enter the lobby during designated office hours only to ask questions or get assistance from our office staff.
- Please note: parents/guardians and siblings will not be allowed to wait in the lobby during class times.
- Dancers ages 5 and younger will be escorted out of the same doors through which they entered for pick up.
- Parents of young dancers are kindly asked to wait on the sidewalk in front of the main front doors. Please do not block the main doors or congregate on the sidewalk.
- Dancers ages 6 and up may exit the building to find their parent/guardian. Please discuss your pick up preference with your child! If you would prefer to pick up your child, please wait on the sidewalk in front of the main front doors and let your dancer know to stay inside until they see you.
- Please make every effort to BE ON TIME when picking up your dancer!
- All Carolina Dance Center faculty, staff, and dancers age 5 and up must wear a mask covering their nose and mouth at all times while inside the facility.
- We have placed readily visible signage throughout the dance studio to remind everyone of appropriate hygiene practices and the social distancing rules.
- Hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol) will be placed at every entrance/exit and in every classroom. Dancers are encouraged to also have their own hand sanitizer in their dance bag.
Per the Centers for Disease Control, “Exposure” to someone with COVID-19 means that you were in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 during their period of being infectious (48 hours prior to when symptoms began and the 10 days after symptoms began). Close contact can be any of the following (regardless of whether or not you are wearing a mask):
- You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more.
- You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19.
- You had direct physical contact with the person (hugging, kissing, etc).
- You shared eating or drinking utensils.
- They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you.
With all of our individuals in our facility wearing masks and practicing social distancing, we hope that we are minimizing the possibility of exposure to COVID-19. However, should a dancer or instructor be sent home with symptoms of COVID-19 during class, we will notify the parents of the children in the affected room of the possibility of exposure. We will not name the dancer or instructor, though please recognize that the dancers talk among themselves and we cannot control that. If that dancer or instructor later tests positive for COVID-19 and we are made aware, we will also notify all parents of the children in the affected room of the possibility of exposure (again, not naming that person), and it is still very likely that your dancer did not meet the definition of exposure. If someone at the studio tests positive for COVID-19 and was at the studio during the 2 days prior to the positive test or 2 days prior to symptoms starting, we ask that that individual or parents notify the studio so that we can notify the appropriate contacts (anyone who may have met the definition of exposure).
What to do if you are Exposed:
If you are exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, you should quarantine for 14 days after your last day of exposure with that person. This means the person with COVID-19 will likely be out of quarantine before you are. Getting a negative test will not prove that you do not have COVID-19 because the virus can take up to 14 days to incubate in your system and show symptoms or have a positive test. However, you can still be contagious during that time. Please contact your primary care provider with questions and please watch for symptoms of COVID-19. You will not be allowed in to the studio until after your quarantine period is up even if you get a negative test.
If you are exposed to someone with SUSPECTED COVID-19, please do not come to the studio until you know if the person actually has COVID-19 or not. If they do, please follow the quarantine guidelines above. If they do NOT have COVID-19 and you have no symptoms, you will be allowed back in the studio.
SCENARIOS FOR SYMPTOMS:
You have symptoms of COVID-19 and tested POSITIVE: you may return to the studio 10 days after your first symptoms plus 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever reducing medicine), AND symptom improvement, including coughing and shortness of breath. ***If you have a severe case, requiring hospitalization or with prolonged symptoms, your health care provider must determine when it is safe for you to return.
You have symptoms of COVID-19 and did not get tested: you may return to the studio 10 days after your first symptoms plus 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever reducing medicine), AND symptom improvement, including coughing and shortness of breath.
You have symptoms of COVID-19 and tested NEGATIVE: you may return to the studio after 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever reducing medicine), AND you have felt well for 24 hours.
You have symptoms of COVID-19 but they are symptoms of another confirmed diagnosis such as ear infection, sinus infection, strep throat, etc: you may return to the studio when your health care provider says that you are no longer infectious.
SCENARIO FOR POSITIVE COVID-19 TEST WITH NO SYMPTOMS:
You have a Positive COVID-19 test but you have no symptoms: you may return to the studio 10 days after the date of your positive test, assuming you did not develop symptoms. If you developed symptoms, the 10 days would start counting from the day the symptoms started and would need to add the 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever reducing medicine).
Please note that the information above was based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control website, the NC Department of Health and Human Services website and the StrongSchoolsNC Toolkit published by the NCDHHS. We will use this information to minimize exposure of COVID-19 to our dancers, their families, and our instructors. Please contact your healthcare provider if you think you or any member of your family has been exposed to or has symptoms of COVID-19 or if you have any other health concerns.