Ken McLemore

HOPE – A free COVID-19 vaccinations clinic for Hope Public Schools students ages 5 and up, faculty and staff will be conducted at the Bobcat Clinic on the Hope High School campus Feb. 2.

Vaccinations will be offered from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Call 870-722-2733, option 2, during regular clinic hours for an appointment. An appointment is necessary in order to receive a vaccination, Bobcat Clinic Director Gretchen Carlton said.

A completed registration packet is required and students must provide a vaccination consent form, Carlton said. The clinic will offer the Pfizer vaccine only. A Pfizer booster is recommended after five months of the original vaccination.

“We encourage anyone having symptoms to stay home and get tested,” Carlton said. “The school district will continue to follow the 10-day isolation guidelines for positive cases.”

Current HPS guidance implemented Jan. 13 includes:

--A 10-day isolation period for students or staff who test positive for COVID-19.

--Exposed students or staff do not have to quarantine if BOTH parties are wearing a mask at the time of the exposure.

--A 10-day quarantine is required for unvaccinated students documented wearing a mask incorrectly.

--A 10-day quarantine is required for students with positive cases within the home unless the student is fully vaccinated and/or the positive family member is isolated.

--Students who are tested for COVID-19 but are asymptomatic at the time should not return to school until notified of negative PCR test results. A “home rapid test” result is not acceptable for return to school.

--Generally, booster effectiveness for Moderna vaccine is six months; Pfizer, five months; and Johnson and Johnson, two months.