Parents of children enrolled in the Mahomet-Seymour School District received an email Sunday morning updating the district’s COVID-19 isolation and exclusion period for students and staff.
The update comes ahead of the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education adopting CDC guidance that reduced the isolation and exclusion period for COVID-positive individuals from 10 days to 5 days.
A memo from the Illinois Department of Public Health published Friday by the Illinois State Board of Education says the two agencies plan to revise existing regulations and guidance documents to align with the CDC’s update.
According to the CDC, COVID-19 quarantine for K-12 Schools is:
- Stay home and away from other people for at least 5 days (day 0 through day 5) after their last close contact with a person who has COVID-19. The date of exposure is considered day 0. Wear a well-fitting mask when around others at home, if possible.
- For 10 days after their last close contact to someone with COVID-19, watch for fever (100.4◦F or greater), cough, shortness of breath, or other COVID-19 symptoms. If they develop symptoms, get tested immediately and isolate until they receive their test results. If they test positive, follow isolation recommendations.
- If they do not develop symptoms, get tested at least 5 days after they last had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
- If they test negative, they can leave home, but continue to wear a well-fitting mask when around others at home and in public until 10 days after their last close contact with someone with COVID-19.
- If they test positive, they should isolate for at least 5 days from the date of their positive test (if they do not have symptoms). If they do develop COVID-19 symptoms, isolate for at least 5 days from the date their symptoms began (the date the symptoms started is day 0). Follow recommendations in the isolation section.
- If they are unable to get a test 5 days after their last close contact with someone with COVID-19, they can leave their home after day 5 if they have been without COVID-19 symptoms throughout the 5-day period. Wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days after the date of last close contact when around others at home and in public.
- Avoid people who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease, and nursing homes and other high-risk settings, until after at least 10 days.
- If possible, stay away from people they live with, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19, as well as others outside their home throughout the full 10 days after their last close contact with someone with COVID-19.
- If they are unable to quarantine, they should wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days when around others at home and in public.
- If they are unable to wear a mask when around others, they should continue to quarantine for 10 days.
- Avoid people who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease, and nursing homes and other high-risk settings, until after at least 10 days.
The school is tasked to develop a plan for people identified as close contacts to stay masked at all times indoors until 10 full days after their last close contact to someone with COVID-19. During times in the school day when students or staff members may typically remove masks indoors (such as during lunches, snacks, band practice, etc.), the school should have a plan for them to adequately distance from others and ensure they wear their masks when not actively participating in these activities (such as when they are not actively eating).
Hall said the test-to-stay program will continue to be offered by the Mahomet-Seymour School District for unvaccinated students who are identified as close contacts to another person who has tested positive while at school. Test-to-stay is available from 6:45 to 7:45 each morning school is in session at Mahomet-Seymour Junior High.
Masks are still required inside school buildings per the Illinois mask mandate.
