CLOSE CONTACTS
Students and staff within a K–12 school that maintained a minimum of 3 feet of distance from the confirmed case while masked, or 6 feet of distance while unmasked, during an exposure are not considered close contacts and, therefore, do not need to quarantine after exposure to a positive case. Outside of the school environment, a close contact is defined as someone who was within 6 feet of a confirmed positive case, whether masked or unmasked, for at least 15 minutes cumulatively during a 24-hour period.
Do Not Need to Quarantine
- Individuals, regardless of vaccination status, who were masked at the time of close contact and maintained a minimum of 3 feet of physical distancing from the COVID-positive individual while in school are not considered close contacts and do not need to quarantine if they remain asymptomatic.
- Individuals, regardless of vaccination status, who were unmasked at the time of close contact and maintained a minimum of 6 feet of physical distancing from the COVID-positive individual while in school are not considered close contacts and do not need to quarantine if they remain asymptomatic.
- Vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine if they are a close contact with a COVID-19 positive person. There is no need to quarantine at home as long as the vaccinated individual is not symptomatic. The vaccinated individual must wear a mask around others for 10 days after exposure. Testing is recommended 5 days after exposure OR if symptoms develop. If the individual becomes symptomatic, follow the guidelines for symptomatic individuals outlined above.
- Unvaccinated individuals do need to quarantine if they are a close contact with a COVID-19 positive person. The individual must quarantine at home for 5 days and continue to wear a mask around others for 5 more days. Testing is recommended 5 days after exposure OR if symptoms develop. If the individual becomes symptomatic, follow the guidelines for symptomatic individuals outlined above.
Need to Quarantine
- Unvaccinated individuals who were masked but did not maintain at least 3 feet of physical distancing from the COVID-positive individual in school must quarantine.
- Unvaccinated individuals that were not masked at all times while exposed to the COVID-positive individual (within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes within a 24-hour period) must quarantine.
- Once it is established that an unvaccinated individual is a close contact with a COVID-19 positive person:
- The individual must quarantine at home for 5 days and continue to wear a mask around others for 5 more days.
- Testing is recommended 5 days after exposure OR if symptoms develop.
- Vaccinated individuals who become symptomatic must quarantine immediately and follow the guidelines for symptomatic individuals outlined above.
Need to Quarantine – Complicated Quarantines
Unvaccinated individuals who are close contacts to COVID-positive household members, including siblings, parents, etc., are considered close contacts and must quarantine as follows:
- If the close contact CANNOT isolate from the positive case the close contact must:
- Initially quarantine for the same 5-day period of the positive case (see Positive Cases above noting that there must be a cessation of symptoms before concluding the isolation period).
- After completion of the initial 5-day period, the household member close contact must quarantine for an additional 5 days after the previous 5-day period (10 days in total). As long as they remain asymptomatic, they can return to school after the additional 5-day period without a test.
Example: Mom tests positive and cannot isolate from her child since they live together. Mom is subject to a 5-day isolation period (per the Positive Case instructions above) during which time she is potentially contagious and could expose her child to COVID-19. A such, the child also quarantines for that 5-day period. Once the Mom’s 5-day isolation period is complete, the child would need to quarantine for an additional 5 days without a test. Therefore, the child’s total quarantine period would be 5 days + 5 days.
- If the close contact CAN isolate from the positive case then the quarantine period for the close contact is determined as outlined in the Need to Quarantine section above.
Example: Mom can completely isolate from the child (e.g., by domiciling somewhere else); hence, the child is not subject to a complicated quarantine and would just be subject to a regular close contact quarantine as noted on page 2. However, please note that if other family members subsequently test positive and they have not been isolated from the close contact, then the quarantine time periods for the close contact reset and begin anew from that positive test date.