Mustang Family,
Recently the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated/changed their guidance concerning COVID-19 quarantines. As a reminder, a quarantine is used to separate someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 and may develop illness away from other people. Quarantines must be followed inside and outside of school to be effective in preventing the spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they have the virus. Below is a summary of this updated guidance and how it will be applied in Mustang Public Schools.
Updated Guidance Summary:
A quarantine may end after Day 10 (previously 14) without testing and if no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring.
A quarantine may also end after Day 7 with a negative test if no symptoms were reported during daily monitoring:
The test can be a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based) or rapid (Antigen) test.
The test must be administered within 48 hours of the end of quarantine, but no earlier than Day 5;
Regardless of a negative test, a quarantine cannot end earlier than after Day 7;
Individuals who test out and return on Day 8 must give negative test results to their supervisor/school office before returning to class/work.
This option is dependent upon the sufficient availability of testing resources.
A positive test will result in an additional 10 day isolation from the date of the positive test;
In both cases, additional criteria (e.g., continued symptom monitoring and masking through Day 14) must be met. Additionally, the newly released guidance requires that when a shortened quarantine is in place, the following also should be in place through 14 days after exposure:
Lastly, Federal health officials are concerned about the Christmas holiday season, and they also have issued new guidance about traveling. CDC officials recommended people be tested both one to three days before traveling and three to five days after. Even with a negative test, CDC is recommending travelers reduce activities for a week after traveling. Travelers who aren't tested should reduce activities for 10 days, according to the guidance.
Thank you for your continued support as we continue to evaluate new guidance and adjust accordingly to provide the safest possible environment for our schools.