District updates COVID-19 isolation and quarantine guidance

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently updated their isolation and quarantine recommendations for individuals who have tested positive for, or have symptoms of, COVID-19, or who have been exposed to the virus. 

Robbinsdale Area Schools will begin following these updated guidelines Tuesday, Jan. 18. Any COVID-19 reporting forms submitted after this date will receive guidance based on the new recommendations.

Positive COVID-19 test, or symptomatic

• People who test positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, must be isolated for five days to prevent spread of the virus. If people have no symptoms or their symptoms are resolving after five days, including being fever-free without fever-reducing medications for 24 hours, they can stop isolation.
• Individuals not eligible for shortened isolation should continue with a 10-day isolation period: 
  • Those who cannot wear a well-fitting mask (including those who may have an exemption from mask wearing)
  • Those who were severely ill with COVID-19
  • Children under 2
  • Individuals who are immunocompromised

Exposed to COVID-19

• People who are exposed to someone (symptomatic or not) who has tested positive for COVID-19, but who are vaccinated, don’t need to isolate or quarantine. However, they should wear a mask for 10 days. These individuals should also take a COVID-19 test on day five.
  • This applies to:
    • Children 5-17 years old who have received a primary series (two doses) of the COVID-19 vaccine
    • Adults 18 or older who have received all recommended vaccine doses, including primary series of the COVID vaccine and a booster dose
    • Those who have had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days
• People who are exposed to someone with COVID-19, but who are NOT vaccinated or who are unvaccinated, must quarantine at home for five days to see if they develop symptoms. If they have no symptoms after five days, they can stop quarantine. These individuals should also take a COVID-19 test on day five.
  • People still need to quarantine if:
    • They are not vaccinated
    • They have not completed a primary vaccine series (both of the two recommended doses)
    • They are 18 or older and have completed the primary series of recommended vaccine but have not received a booster shot if eligible
    • They received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than two months ago and have not received a recommended booster shot

In all cases, it’s recommended to wear a mask through day 10 when around other people. Masks must be worn in Robbinsdale Area Schools buildings and facilities per the district’s mask mandate.

For more information about these new guidelines, visit the CDC’s website.