Sacramento-area schools changing COVID quarantine rules to meet new CDC guidelines

Schools across the Sacramento region are preparing to change existing COVID-19 quarantine protocols in line with new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state health department shortening isolation periods from 10 days to five days.

Up until now, most districts have generally required some form of a minimum 10-day quarantine for students and staff who test positive for the coronavirus. The CDC issued its new five day recommendation last week, but many school districts waited for additional guidance from the California Department of Public Health and county health officials.

That new state guidance came last Thursday, and Sacramento County health officials have also greenlit the state recommendation. People who test positive for COVID-19 can return to schools after Day 5 if symptoms are not present or are resolving, and a diagnostic specimen collected on Day 5 or later tests negative.

The CDC and state decision to alter its recommendation came after dramatic pressure from corporations and business leaders to shorten the quarantine period. Staff shortages across the country caused by workers increasingly contracting the virus has severely hampered economic activity in recent weeks.

Airlines canceled thousands of flights during the holiday weekend, and the rise in cases have resulted in postponed games, shows and shut down businesses. The shortened quarantine will also allow schools to stay open, and help parents get kids in the classroom more quickly.

Sacramento County has a higher case rate now than at any other time during the pandemic. Now the most dominant variant, Omicron is extremely infectious, fueling an explosion of new cases.

Along with positive cases, demands for testing have surged as well, resulting in long lines at COVID testing centers and sold-out at-home test kits.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last month that at-home testing kits would be provided for public school students across the state as they return to campus from winter break. However, most Sacramento County schools have yet to receive these kits.

Sacramento COVID quarantine guidance

Sacramento County public health officials told some districts Monday that students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 may return to schools if all the following criteria have been met:

• At least 5 days have passed since symptoms first appeared (or since the date tested)
• At least 24 hours have passed since last fever without the use of fever-reducing medications (such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen)
• Symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) have improved
• An antigen/rapid test collected on day 5 or after is negative

That means that if a student tested positive on Jan. 1, the earliest they could return to school is Jan. 7 if they were asymptomatic (or resolving symptoms) and tested negative on a specimen collected Jan. 6 or later. If a person with COVID-19 does not get additional testing done, the earliest they can return is after 10 days (Day 11).

Sacramento City Unified School District officials said Monday that they will begin implementing the 5-day quarantine recommendation immediately. That decision comes as the district revealed about 500 students and staff members tested positive during the winter break, based on results reported by families and individuals using district-provided test kits.

Elk Grove Unified School District is also changing its quarantine policy to be in line with the county recommendation, spokeswoman Xanthi Soriano said in an email Monday night. Students and staff who test positive can end their quarantine after Day 5 if symptoms are not present or are resolving, and a test (preferably antigen) Day 5 or later is negative.

Officials from other districts, such as San Juan Unified, Natomas Unified and Folsom Cordova Unified, said Monday they have not yet changed quarantine protocols but are planning to soon.

“Our focus the last few days and today has been on providing COVID-19 testing for students and staff to we can provide a safe and healthy return to classes tomorrow,” San Juan Unified School District spokeswoman Raj Rai said in an email Monday evening. “We’re currently reviewing this latest update to quarantine guidance and will update our guidelines once we have had time to review.

This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Sacramento-area schools changing COVID quarantine rules to meet new CDC guidelines."