DId the school revise its quarantine protocols based on CDC's changes in December 2020?

Updated on Jan. 8, 2021
We have updated the school’s quarantine protocols for students who come into close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case, as well as requirements for students returning to PE or sports after a positive test result.

Background

Late last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised its quarantine guidelines for people who come into close contact with persons who have the COVID-19 infection. Instead of the standard 14-day quarantine it had been recommending, the CDC gave people options to reduce the length of quarantine to between seven and 10 days using a combination of symptom monitoring and testing. Please note that the CDC continues to endorse quarantine for 14 days and recognizes that any quarantine shorter than 14 days balances reduced burden against a small possibility of spreading the virus.

According to these new CDC guidelines, if individuals do not develop symptoms, they only need to quarantine for 10 days. The quarantine period can be as short as seven days if individuals do not develop symptoms and test negative on or after the seventh day of the quarantine. The CDC determined that individuals living or working in what it considers to be high-risk settings — including long-term care facilities or residential facilities — are not eligible for the shortened quarantine. Austin Public Health (APH) subsequently revised its quarantine guidelines to be consistent with the new CDC guidelines.

Changes to Our Quarantine Protocols

St. Stephen’s administration and members of our Medical Advisory Committee carefully reviewed the new CDC and APH guidelines during the Winter Break, and we decided to modify our quarantine protocol for people who come into close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case. In this document, updates to our protocols are highlighted in green.

Requirements for Returning to PE or Sports after Positive Test Result

All students with a positive COVID-19 test (including those who are asymptomatic) will be required to obtain clearance from their healthcare provider before participating in PE or sports. Clearance documentation can be sent to the Health Center and should include language indicating "clearance for participation in PE/sports" not just clearance for school. This link provides the American Academy of Pediatrics’ interim guidelines for returning to athletics after a confirmed COVID-19 case.

Please contact the Health Center at healthcenter@sstx.org or 512-327-1166 if you have any questions about these revised protocols.

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