In early December, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) issued updated options for people who are quarantined after exposure to a positive case of COVID-19. The updated federal guidelines include direction to seek guidance from local public health authorities, and RISD has consulted with Dallas County Health and Human Services. As a result, RISD is in the process of implementing new quarantine options for students/staff identified as exposed to a positive case of COVID-19 while participating in an in-person school activity. The new quarantine options apply to people who have been exposed, but are not symptomatic or have not tested positive.
Applying the updated CDC options and based on direction from our local Dallas County public health authority, RISD is implementing the following two new options:
- For exposed students and staff without symptoms, quarantine can end after completion of 10 quarantine days. Students and staff would be able to return to school/work on day 11 after exposure. This new option provides a shortened quarantine period from the 14 quarantine days that RISD has utilized so far during the pandemic.
- School district employees may choose to return to work after completion of 7 quarantine days provided they meet the required criteria. The guidance from the Dallas County health authority is clear that this option should only be available to employees, in their role as essential workers. The criteria required for employees to choose this option include:
- No COVID-19 symptoms at all during the first seven days of quarantine
- Employees receive a negative PCR test (not rapid antigen) result that was administered between days 5-7 from the date of exposure
Every person who returns to school/work under a revised quarantine option must continue diligent daily symptom monitoring through day 14, strictly adhere to RISD’s social distancing and infection mitigation strategies, not attend an in-person school activity is symptoms develop and immediately report any symptoms to the school nurse (parents/students) or their supervisor (employees).
These updated quarantine options for exposed, asymptomatic people are optional. The CDC continues to recommend a 14-day quarantine as the most cautious approach if a person has been in close contact with someone who is positive for COVID-19 since the disease has an incubation period up to 14 days. Accordingly, under the updated guidelines, RISD parents and employees may choose for their quarantine period to remain at 14 days if desired.
More information about RISD’s response to the pandemic is available on the COVID-19 Information site.
