Latest COVID-19 Isolation Guidelines

  • Effective May 31, 2023, the Virginia Department of Health retired the "Interim Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention for Students, Teachers and Staff in Child Care, K-12 Schools, and Day Camp Settings" from the VDH Coronavirus K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs webpage. 

    MCPS has revised the isolation period for staff and students to align with the current CDC recommendation and allow individuals to return to school on Day 6 with a mask if the individual's symptoms are improved and the individual has been fever-free for 24 hours without any fever-reducing medication.

     

    Isolation Guidelines at a glance

    Note: Counting days, the day of symptom onset or positive test result,

    whichever comes first, is day 0.

           Required Length*

    Isolation

     

     

    Students 

                          

    YES,

    for those who:

    1.  Have received a positive test result

    or

    1.  Have received a physician’s diagnosis

     

    At least

    5 days (days 0-5)

    • Return to work on day 6
    • Wearing a mask for days 6-10. ^
    • To stop wearing a mask before day 10, provide documentation of two negative COVID antigen tests 48 hours apart.
    • Students unable to wear a mask to school days 6-10, will be required to finish the isolation period at home. Students can return to school on Day 11.

    Isolation

     

     

     

    Staff       

                                 

    YES,

    for those who:

    1.  Have received a positive test result

    or

    1.  Have received a physician’s diagnosis

     

    At least

    5 days (days 0-5)

    • Return to work on day 6
    • Wearing a mask for days 6-10. ^
    • To stop wearing a mask before day 10, provide documentation of two negative COVID antigen tests 48 hours apart.
    • Staff unable to wear a mask to work days 6-10, will be required to finish the isolation period at home.  Staff can return to work on day 11.

    *No student or employee should return to school or work until symptoms have significantly improved to

    include being fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.

    ^Employees and students will be required to mask, days 6-10, when returning from isolation.

    Information adapted from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html

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