December 31, 2021–The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Ohio Department of Health released updated guidance this week regarding shortened isolation periods for people who test positive for COVID-19. As a result, the District is updating the
2021-2022 Health & Safety Guidelines to reflect the following:
Isolation Guidance: COVID-19 Diagnosis
Vaccinated and unvaccinated students and staff diagnosed with COVID-19 should isolate for 5 days. If the individual is asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving and they have been fever-free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medication), students and staff can follow the 5-day isolation period with 5 days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting other people.
Quarantine Guidance: Exposure in the Community/Home
The CDC and ODH have also revised quarantine guidance for when individuals are exposed to COVID-19 in the community or in the home. The new quarantine guidance shortens the number of days of quarantine and clarifies the definition for what it means to be fully vaccinated under the quarantine guidance.
- All individuals who have been exposed are advised to test 5 days following the exposure regardless of vaccination status.
- Individuals who are less than 6 months out from the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or within 2 months of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or who have received a booster dose are not required to quarantine but must wear a mask for 10 days and monitor carefully for symptoms.
- Individuals who do not meet the revised definition of fully vaccinated now have the option of a 5-day quarantine period with a negative test on day 5. Following a negative test on day 5, they must wear a mask for the next 5 days and continue to carefully monitor for symptoms.
Quarantine Guidance: School-Related Exposure
At this time, the District will continue to follow Ohio’s Mask to Stay/Test to Play quarantine guidance for K-12 school settings. This guidance outlines that unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals identified as close contacts to a school-related exposure may continue to come to school if they do the following:
An unvaccinated or partially vaccinated student or staff member who has been identified as a close contact of a case through an exposure at school may continue to come to school if they do the following:
- Wear a mask for 10 days after their last date of exposure.
- Self-monitor, or parent-monitor, for symptoms of COVID-19.
- Isolate and get tested if they start to experience any symptoms associated with COVID-19 regardless of level of severity.
- Students and staff may discontinue these quarantine procedures after 7 days if they don’t develop symptoms and test negative through a proctored antigen or PCR test between days 5-7.
Unvaccinated students/staff members should also remain home if a member of the same household is awaiting a COVID-19 test or COVID-19 test results. Finally, families and staff members should continue to report any COVID-19 cases for students and staff through the
COVID-19 Case Reporting Google Form.