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COVID-19 Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Childhood Education (preschool/daycare)
The CDC recently changed the guidance on COVID-19 for K-12 school settings and early childhood education (preschools/daycares). As of August 11, 2022, those in K-12 school settings (students and staff) who are positive for COVID-19 or who are have been in close contact with a COVID-positive person should follow the same guidelines as for the general public. These guidelines are outlined on the following CDC web pages:
Isolation and Precautions for People With COVID-19 ("positives")
To summarize, if you have COVID-19, you should stay home and isolate for 5 full days AFTER your symptom onset date (or your test collection date, if you didn't have symptoms). Your "Day 0" is your symptom onset date, or test collection date if you had no symptoms. On Day 6, you may leave isolation as long as you have been fever-free (without fever-reducing meds) for at least 24 hours AND your other symptoms have significantly improved AND you wear a mask whenever you are around other people for another 5 days (through Day 10). Note that these are minimum recommendations. Your school district may have stricter criteria for return-to-school, so make sure you check with your school. EXCEPTION: Children under age 2 are not able to mask. If the positive is under age 2, or if the positive is older than age 2 but unable/unwilling to wear a mask, they should stay home and isolate for 10 days.
Please click on this link for the Scioto County Health Department's COVID-19 Recommendations for Scioto County Schools: COVID-Positive Persons.
What to Do if You Were Exposed to COVID-19 ("contacts")
To summarize, if you have been exposed to COVID-19, you no longer need to quarantine as long as you have no symptoms AND you wear a high-quality mask whenever you are around other people for at least 10 days AFTER your last date of contact with the positive person. (Your last date of contact is your Day 0.) If you develop symptoms, you should stay home, isolate, and get tested. EXCEPTION: Children under age 2 are not able to mask. If the exposed contact is under age 2, or if the exposed contact is older than age 2 but unable/unwilling to wear a mask, they should stay home for 10 days.
Please click on this link for the Scioto County Health Department's COVID-19 Recommendations for Scioto County Schools: Contacts (Persons Exposed to COVID-19).
The complete CDC guidance for K-12 schools is found on the following link: Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning.
Isolation and Precautions for People With COVID-19 ("positives")
To summarize, if you have COVID-19, you should stay home and isolate for 5 full days AFTER your symptom onset date (or your test collection date, if you didn't have symptoms). Your "Day 0" is your symptom onset date, or test collection date if you had no symptoms. On Day 6, you may leave isolation as long as you have been fever-free (without fever-reducing meds) for at least 24 hours AND your other symptoms have significantly improved AND you wear a mask whenever you are around other people for another 5 days (through Day 10). Note that these are minimum recommendations. Your school district may have stricter criteria for return-to-school, so make sure you check with your school. EXCEPTION: Children under age 2 are not able to mask. If the positive is under age 2, or if the positive is older than age 2 but unable/unwilling to wear a mask, they should stay home and isolate for 10 days.
Please click on this link for the Scioto County Health Department's COVID-19 Recommendations for Scioto County Schools: COVID-Positive Persons.
What to Do if You Were Exposed to COVID-19 ("contacts")
To summarize, if you have been exposed to COVID-19, you no longer need to quarantine as long as you have no symptoms AND you wear a high-quality mask whenever you are around other people for at least 10 days AFTER your last date of contact with the positive person. (Your last date of contact is your Day 0.) If you develop symptoms, you should stay home, isolate, and get tested. EXCEPTION: Children under age 2 are not able to mask. If the exposed contact is under age 2, or if the exposed contact is older than age 2 but unable/unwilling to wear a mask, they should stay home for 10 days.
Please click on this link for the Scioto County Health Department's COVID-19 Recommendations for Scioto County Schools: Contacts (Persons Exposed to COVID-19).
The complete CDC guidance for K-12 schools is found on the following link: Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning.