New COVID-19 Policies Offer an Alternative Way to Quarantine
New COVID-19 Policies Offer an Alternative Way to Quarantine
By Muhammed Khan
Oxford, OH — Recently, Talawanda made changes to some of their COVID-19 policies in accordance with new recommendations from the Ohio Department of Health. Although we still have quite a ways to go before the pandemic is over, updated policies have aimed towards increasing in-school participation.
These new policies offer an in-school alternative to quarantining students and staff. Those who were directly exposed to the virus should:
- Wear a mask for 14 days after exposure.
- Monitor for symptoms of COVID-19.
- Isolate if they experience any symptoms.
If they don’t develop any symptoms and test negative between days 5 and 7, they can stop following the procedures after seven days.
The other policy is regarding participation in sports. If you are exposed, you should:
- Get tested right away.
- Wear a mask whenever possible.
- Between days 5-7 you should get tested again, and if it comes out negative you don’t have to follow the quarantine procedures any more (unless you are exposed again).
The official updated ODH recommendations can be found here: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/static/responsible/schools/k-12-schools-quarantine-alternative.pdf.
The purpose of these new policies is to allow more people to participate in in-person schooling. This and other policies are a result of national experience and the success of the policy in Warren County. However, they are subject to changes by both Talawanda and the ODH based on how the number of cases are affected. Either way, this policy is a pretty large step towards getting things back to normal. If you have been attending school in person, you may have also noticed the change in lunch arrangements that allow us to sit at a table with our friends, which is another big step that has created hope for the future.
