AURORA | At the recommendation of the Tri-County Health Department, Aurora Public Schools will follow the new five-day quarantine guidelines for students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 beginning Monday.
In late December, the Centers for Disease Control and Communication released new guidelines shortening the length of time people who test positive for or develop COVID-19 symptoms need to quarantine. There was initially some confusion about whether schools should follow the guidelines or stick with the existing protocols.
APS decided at the beginning of the pandemic that it would follow the public health recommendations and orders from the Tri-County Health Department before any guidance from the CDC or state health department, and during a Jan. 4 meeting, Superintendent Rico Munn said the district was awaiting further recommendations.
In a Sunday message to district families, Munn said that Tri-County has recommended it switch to the new guidelines, which state that people who test positive, or have COVID-19 symptoms, can leave quarantine after five days if they no longer have symptoms or if their symptoms are resolving, which the message defines having no fever for 24 hours without the help of a fever-reducing medication.
After exiting quarantine, people must wear a mask around others for five more days. Currently, APS is requiring all students and employees to wear masks inside district buildings as per a Tri-County public health order regardless of quarantine.
“We would like to emphasize that if you or your student is still experiencing significant symptoms after 5 days in isolation or quarantine, you or your student should continue to stay home,” Munn said. “If you or your student are unvaccinated and in quarantine after exposure, we would also encourage you to get tested.”
Free testing is available for district students and staff through COVIDCheck Colorado.
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this change in guidance is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of COVID-19 transmission occurs early in the course of illness,” Munn said. “Typically with the omicron variant, which is now the dominant variant in the United States, transmission generally occurs in the 1-2 days prior to symptom onset and the 2-3 days after.”
District students and employees who are currently quarantining may return to school on Monday if they meet the new guidelines.
The neighboring Cherry Creek School District began following the new guidelines at the beginning of the spring semester.