Who has to quarantine for COVID in school? These are the rules in Miami-Dade and Broward
Another year of learning during the pandemic has arrived in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, and yes, there are COVID rules to follow.
Some of the protocols are the same. Others are more relaxed.
And just like last year, students and staff who fall ill with COVID-19 will have to isolate. Others exposed to the disease will need to quarantine.
The isolation and quarantine time frame varies and will depend on a variety of factors, including if the person was fully vaccinated, has any symptoms and has been tested.
Here’s what to know:
COVID quarantine rules for students, staff in Miami-Dade County
If you were exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19:
Fully vaccinated students and staff who are asymptomatic and do not live in a group home will not need to quarantine, according to Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Individuals will be asked to present their CDC vaccination card if they are deemed to be a close contact.
People who are not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated will have to quarantine for at least 10 days if they are asymptomatic, whether or not they get tested.
If a student is ordered to quarantine and is asymptomatic, the rest of the household, including siblings and parents, will not have to automatically quarantine. If the student starts to show symptoms or tests positive, then the family should get tested.
Everyone exposed to COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, should monitor for symptoms for 14 days after exposure.
If you tested positive:
Students will be required to self-isolate for 10 days. The Florida Department of Health will notify the school district when the student can return to school. The district will then notify the school’s principal, who will notify the child’s parents.
One of the big changes this year is that entire classrooms or the entire school are no longer expected to quarantine if someone tests positive. However, it can still happen as a result of a close contact investigation, according to the district’s COVID-19 parent handbook.
According to the handbook, the decision would be made on a school-by-school basis and could involve a variety of factors, including the possibility of an outbreak, the number of positive cases among students and staff in the same school, and the ability to sanitize the affected areas before the return of students and staff.
COVID quarantine rules for students, staff in Broward County
If you were exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19:
Fully vaccinated students and staff that are asymptomatic don’t need to quarantine, according to Broward County Public Schools. Students who tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 90 days, have recovered and are asymptomatic also do not need to quarantine.
Students who are not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated will have to quarantine until they meet one of the following criteria:
▪ Receive a negative test after four days (on Day Five or later) from the date they were last exposed to the person who tested positive. The quarantined individual must also be asymptomatic.
▪ Seven days have passed (on Day Eight) since the last date the student was exposed to the person who tested positive. The quarantined student must be asymptomatic.
Everyone exposed to COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, should monitor for symptoms for 14 days after exposure.
If you tested positive or have symptoms:
Students who test positive for the disease or have symptoms cannot attend school until they meet one of the following criteria:
▪ Its been at least 10 days since symptoms began or since the student received an initial positive test result. The student must have also gone 24 hours fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medications. Other symptoms also must have improved.
▪ The student has received a negative COVID test and is asymptomatic.
▪ The student received written permission to return to school from a Florida licensed medical doctor, osteopathic physician or an advanced practice registered nurse.
This story was originally published August 24, 2021 at 5:46 AM.
