Westonka Schools will apply the CDC’s new COVID-19 isolation and quarantine recommendations starting Thursday, January 13. Of note in the new CDC guidance, 5-day isolation/quarantine periods will be allowed for students and staff under certain circumstances, including strict adherence to masking. The full CDC guidance can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html

Confirmed Cases

If you test positive for COVID-19 and have symptoms:

• Isolate for at least 5 days. To calculate your 5-day isolation period, Day 0 is your first day of symptoms. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed.
• You can end isolation after 5 full days if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved (Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation).
• In order to return to school, students/staff will be required to wear a well-fitting mask around others for 5 additional days (Day 6 through Day 10) after the end of the 5-day isolation period. Proper mask wearing at all times except when eating or drinking is especially important during this shortened isolation period. If you are unable to wear a mask when around others, you should continue to isolate for a full 10 days.
• If you continue to have fever or your other symptoms have not improved after 5 days of isolation, you should wait to end your isolation until you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved. 

If you test positive for COVID-19 and never develop symptoms: 

• Isolate for at least 5 days. Day 0 is the day of your positive viral test (based on the date you were tested) and Day 1 is the first full day after the specimen was collected for your positive test.
• If you continue to have no symptoms, you can end isolation after at least 5 days.
• In order to return to school, students/staff will be required to wear a well-fitting mask around others for 5 additional days (Day 6 through Day 10) after the end of the 5-day isolation period. Proper mask wearing at all times except when eating or drinking is especially important during this shortened isolation period. If you are unable to wear a mask when around others, you should continue to isolate for a full 10 days.
• If you develop symptoms after testing positive, your 5-day isolation period should start over. Day 0 is your first day of symptoms. 

Please refer to the CDC isolation guidance for more information.

Quarantines

Household Close Contacts

If a member of your household tests positive for COVID-19, you will be required to quarantine for at least 5 days after your last contact with the person who has COVID-19 unless one of the following apply:

1. You are ages 18 or older and have received all recommended vaccine doses, including boosters and additional primary shots for some immunocompromised people.
2. You are ages 5-17 years and completed the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines.
3. You had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days (you tested positive using a viral test).

All household close contacts must wear a well-fitting mask when around others at home and in public until 10 days after your last contact with someone with COVID-19. Proper mask wearing at all times except when eating or drinking is especially important during a shortened quarantine period. It is recommended that you get tested for COVID-19 at least 5 days after you last had close contact with the person who tested positive. If you have any symptom associated with COVID-19, you must isolate following household close contact exposure. Please refer to the CDC quarantine/isolation guidance for more information.

Other Close Contacts

Quarantines for other close contacts are not required by the school district; however, please refer to the CDC quarantine guidance for best practice recommendations.