Warsaw Schools Following New Quarantine Policy
Press Release
WARSAW — Warsaw Community Schools will now be following the Center for Disease Control’s revised quarantine guidelines for COVID-19.
Previously, students in close contact with a confirmed positive case were quarantined for 14 days. Under the updated CDC guidance, this is reduced to 10 days for students who remain asymptomatic during quarantine. Students will continue to get a “return to school date” when they are a confirmed close contact. Under the new guidance, an assigned quarantine can be reduced to seven days after a student takes a COVID-19 test on day five or later of their quarantine period. The COVID-19 test on day five or later must have a negative result and the student must remain asymptomatic.
While the change allows for a seven-day option, availability to use this option may be limited by the increasing shortage of testing materials. The State Health Department directions also specify not to divert testing resources “just to shorten quarantine.” Regardless, these updated CDC guidelines do allow healthy students to re-enter school in a more timely manner than the previous 14-day quarantine.
“As we move forward, it is likely additional modifications may be needed,” read a press release from the school corporation.
“We are continually collaborating with the local and state health department. Daily reviews are made in staffing, student health concerns and community COVID-19 numbers. To ensure safety under the current conditions, modifications have also been made for extra-curricular and community events at all levels.”
WCS is currently working with local COVID-19 testing sites and would like to thank the Kosciusko County Health Department for their ongoing support. Health officials continue to stress the importance of implementing mitigation measures to decrease transmission, including washing hands, wearing masks and socially distancing.