Holton recently adopted the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) interim guidance to schools regarding COVID-19 quarantine and isolation. As a reminder, this reflects interim guidance from the CDC and is subject to change. The guidance is applicable to asymptomatic AND symptomatic people. To be clear, we’ve highlighted the guidance below and provided Holton-specific examples.
Isolation Guidance for COVID-19 Positive Individuals: All persons who test positive for COVID-19 or believe they may have COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, should complete isolation as follows:
- Stay home for at least 5 full days from the date of symptom onset if symptomatic or the date of the positive test if no symptoms. Day 1 is considered the first full day after symptoms started in symptomatic persons or the first full day after the person tested positive if asymptomatic.
- After Day 5, if the person has no symptoms or if symptoms have improved and they have had no fever for at least 24 hours without medication, they may return to school and continue to wear a well-fitting mask.
For example, any asymptomatic individuals who tested positive from the Thursday, January 6th test, would be cleared to return to Holton on Wednesday (Friday -first “full day”- plus Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, for a total of 5 days). An individual with symptoms who tested positive from Thursday would count the first full day of symptoms (could be before testing happened) and as long as they have no fever (without aid of medicine) and their symptoms are improving, they may return to School. For some, that could be as early as tomorrow. If you have questions about your specific case, please follow-up with Lori Herringa for guidance.
Updated 1.10.22