West Side has eliminated the required quarantine of students who are in close contact of Covid-positive individuals. The changes apply only to K-12 students. Under state Department of Human Services guidelines, preschool students will still be required to quarantine if identified as a probable close contact.
What do the changes mean?
Effective immediately, no K-12 students will be told to quarantine. Students now quarantined may return to school as soon as they are fever-free without the use of medication for 48 hours.
As has been the case, students with a temperature of 99.5 or higher should stay home and parents should contact the school.
Students must be fever-free for 48 hours without the use of medication before returning to school.
Students must be free of vomiting and diarrhea for 24 hours before returning to school.
Students who have two or more of the following symptoms -- cough or shortness of breath, chills, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell -- should stay home sick and parents should contact the school.
At home and at school, students should continue with healthy practices of frequent hand-washing or using hand sanitizer, coughing and sneezing in the elbow, and staying 3 feet or more from others whenever possible. Though not required, face coverings are recommended.