CDC Reiterates School Quarantine Guidance as States and Districts Shorten Requirements (September 30, 2021)

On Tuesday, September 28, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its quarantine guidance for K-12 schools. The CDC has reiterated its recommendations  due to a number of states and school districts that have shortened the length of periods of quarantine. CDC asserts that those unvaccinated who come into close contact with someone with COVID-19 should immediately quarantine for 14 days unless instructed otherwise by a school official.

The CDC also advises that vaccinated individuals who are close contacts of people diagnosed with COVID-19 don’t need to quarantine, but they should be tested 3-5 days following known exposure and continue to wear a mask indoors for the following 14 days.

According to K-12 Dive, the Center on Reinventing Public Education, which is keeping track of COVID-19 responses in the nation’s 100 largest school systems, many school districts across the country have shortened quarantine periods and clarified protocols since the start of the school year.

For quarantine guidelines from the CDC, click here.

Sources: K-12 Dive and the CDC.