QUARANTINE – Applies to those who are potentially exposed and involves staying home from school, work, or other activities when a person is a close contact to someone with COVID-19.  

What makes someone a close contact?

• You are a close contact of a COVID-19 positive individual if, from 48 hours before their symptoms began, the person with COVID-19:
  • Lived in your home or stayed overnight with you
  • Took care of you or you took care of them
  • Stayed within 6 feet of you for cumulative 15 minutes or longer in a 24 hour period
  • Exposed you to their body fluids or secretions (e.g., coughed or sneezed on you)

If my student is considered a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19, do I need to get tested? 

• No, you are not required to get tested. If during the 7 days, your student develops symptoms you should contact the Dept. of Health for guidance on testing.

Does anyone else in my household need to quarantine at this time?

• No, as long as your student does not develop symptoms, no one else in the household is required to quarantine. Members of the household would be considered “contacts of a contact” and there are no CDC recommendations, as you are twice removed from the positive individual.

What if my student has been identified as a close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual, but already had COVID-19 within the last 90 days?  Do they still need to quarantine?

• If your student has been asked to quarantine due to an exposure, he/she must stay at home until you are contacted by the Dept. of Health. After verifying your student’s previous COVID-19 illness, the Dept. of Health will clear your student to return to school and notify the school nurse.  

What if my student is identified as having close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual, but has been fully vaccinated? (2 or more weeks have passed since the second dose in a two dose vaccine or the first dose in a one dose vaccine series) Does he/she still need to quarantine?

• No, he/she is not required to quarantine.  Vaccination status will be verified in the state registry by SJCSD Health Services and your student will not need to leave school, or if at home, may return to school immediately.  You will receive a call from the Dept. of Health to ensure no symptoms have developed and to provide further COVID-19 education.

QUARANTINE PERIOD –

• The quarantine period is 7 days from date of last exposure to the positive individual.  Your student may return to school on Day 8 if no symptoms have developed.  If signs or symptoms develop at any point, you should contact the Dept. of Health and have your student isolate from other family members in the household.  If your student remains symptom-free and does not have a PENDING test result, he or she may return to school on day 8 and will not need a clearance letter from the Department of Health or the School Nurse.   

• If a negative COVID test result is obtained on day 5 or later from exposure to the positive individual your student can return immediately if he/she remains symptom free.  Your student must present a copy of the negative test result upon return.  

DO I HAVE TO GET MY CHILD TESTED?  

No, assuming your child remains symptom-free, he or she does not need a negative test to return to school on Day 8.  If symptoms develop you should call the Dept. of Health and arrange for testing. 

Revised 8/6/2021