Dear PFT Members,

The CDPH updated their COVID-19 guidance late last night. It now includes a recommendation to notify the entire class that they may have been a close contact when a student is positive, rather than contact tracing and notifying close contacts individually. Exposed students will be allowed to remain in school and monitor for symptoms, with testing recommended 3-5 days after exposure. Below are the pertinent details. If you are interested, you can view the most current CDPH Guidance, the CDPH K-12 Schools Guidance 2021-22 Questions and Answers and the CDPH Group-Tracing Approach to Students Exposed to COVID-19 in a K-12 setting. Let me know if you have questions or need support.

In Unity,

Kelly

Recommendations for students exposed to someone with COVID-19 in a K-12 school:

1.     Schools should notify students who spent more than a cumulative total of 15 minutes (within a 24-hour time period) in a shared indoor airspace (e.g., classroom) with someone with COVID-19 during their period of infectiousness.

1.     Notification should occur to "groups" of exposed students (e.g., classmates, teammates, cohorts, etc.) rather than contact tracing to identify individual "close contacts" (e.g., those within 6 feet).

2.     Notifications should be provided to all individuals considered exposed, including those who are vaccinated and/or recently infected. 

1.     For example, if a student in tenth grade is diagnosed with COVID-19, the school should notify groups with whom that student interacted as per the criteria above, such as those in the same classes, sports team, and/or other extracurricular cohorts.

3.     A sample notification letter is available here for school edit and use.
 

2.     Exposed students, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status or prior infection, should get tested for COVID-19 with at least one diagnostic test obtained within 3-5 days after last exposure.

1.     In the event of wide-scale and/or repeated exposures, broader (e.g., grade-wide or campus-wide) once weekly testing for COVID-19 may be considered until such time that exposure events become less frequent. 

2.     Any FDA-approved antigen diagnostic test, PCR diagnostic test, or pooled PCR test is acceptable for evaluation of an individual's COVID-19 status.  For individuals who have been recently infected (within the past 90 days), antigen testing is strongly recommended as PCR results may remain persistently positive and not be indicative of a new active infection.  Repeat antigen testing and/or confirmatory molecular testing should be considered in individuals who receive a negative result with an antigen test but have symptoms specific for COVID-19 (such as loss of taste and smell).

3.     Exposed students who participate in testing may continue to take part in all aspects of K-12 schooling, including sports and extracurricular activities, unless they develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19.  They should test as recommended in Section (2), report positive test results to the school, and follow other components of this guidance, including wearing face-coverings as directed.

1.     Exposed students who develop symptoms should see Section 4 of the K-12 Guidance.

2.     Exposed students who receive a positive test result should isolate in accordance with Section 10 of the K-12 Guidance.