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QUARANTINE GUIDANCE for people who are a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recently updated their recommendations for quarantine following exposure to someone with COVID-19. These recommendations include certain situations where the quarantine period may be shortened. However, monitoring and surveillance still needs to occur for the entire 14 days following the exposure. The science behind how the virus works has not changed. The virus still has a 14 day incubation period, thus the requirement for continued monitoring during this time. The reason for the change to a shortened quarantine time in certain cases is to increase compliance and reduce the burden of quarantine for individuals and families. The safest option is to stay home and away from others for 14 days. But, in certain situations, you may end your quarantine after 10 full days with continued monitoring, or after seven full days with a negative PCR COVID test result and continued monitoring.

ISLA will allow these shortened quarantine periods for staff and students, provided that certain guidelines are followed. In order to qualify for a shortened quarantine time the following things must be true:

• No one in the household is positive for COVID-19
• The exposure to COVID was a one-time exposure, and not a household member
• You have NO symptoms (of any illness)
• You have NOT tested positive for COVID-19
• You make a commitment to continue to monitor for the entire 14 days following the exposure.
• If you develop ANY symptoms within that 14 days, you need to stay home and separate yourself from others, and you need to be tested for COVID-19.
• You need to be vigilant about keeping your distance from others, continue to wear a face mask, wash your hands frequently and clean surfaces you touch.
• In addition, to qualify for a 7 day quarantine, you must get a PCR test for COVID-19 (not an antigen test) at least five full days after exposure to someone with COVID, and the test must be negative. You must provide documentation of these results before returning to ISLA.

If your student has been exposed to COVID-19 and you would like to be considered for a shortened quarantine time, you must submit a request through a Google form (see below). You must submit the proper documentation and hear back that it was approved before sending your student back to ISLA. Otherwise, they will follow the standard 14 day quarantine.

Shortened Quarantine Request Form

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