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Quarantine FAQ
For additional guidance, please contact Assistant Superintendent Tim Hood at 912-754-6491.
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If someone is vaccinated for COVID-19, do they still need to quarantine?
If you are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 with an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and you are NOT an inpatient or resident in a healthcare facility, you are not required to quarantine if you meet all three criteria below:
- Are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (i.e., it has been greater than 2 weeks following receipt of your second dose in a 2-dose series, or it has been greater than 2 weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine)
- It has been less than 3 months since you were fully vaccinated
- Do not experience any symptoms since your current COVID-19 exposure
If you do NOT meet all 3 of the above criteria, you should follow quarantine guidance after exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
If you meet these three criteria you do not need to quarantine, but you should still monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days following a suspected or confirmed exposure. If you develop symptoms for COVID-19, you should follow isolation guidance.
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How will my student stay up-to-date with their school work?
All of your student's work will be provided using Google Classroom. Students...
- are provided videos/recordings, lessons, assignments, resources, etc.
- can submit assignments and participate in classes
- obtain extra help via Google Meet (video conferencing)
Note:
All students have already been trained and are well versed in the use of Google ClassroomQuestion:What if my students has technology related issues?- Check out our self-service Technology SOS website (http://www.effinghamschools.com/technology-sos)
- The student/guardian should contact the student's instructor
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I don't have internet access at home.
Please call our IT Office at 912-754-5533 and choose Option 6.
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My student tested positive for COVID-19, but had no symptoms. When can they return to school?
A student who tests positive for COVID-19 can return to school after at least 10 days have passed since they were tested and they remain symptom free.
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My student was symptomatic and tested for COVID. Can they return to school without test results if they are feeling better?
No.
If your student was tested for COVID, they WILL NEED to remain home until you receive the results of the test.
If results are negative, symptoms have improved, and at least 72 hours have passed since their last fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) have improved, then they can return to school.
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When can my COVID positive student return to school?
Students testing positive for COVID-19 may return to school if:
- at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared
- at least 72 hours have passed since their last fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) have improved.
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What does “close contact” mean?
COVID-19 close contacts are:
- individuals spending 15 cumulative minutes
- or more within 6 feet of someone who tested positive
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My student is quarantined for possible exposure. Does the whole family need to quarantine?
No.
Only direct exposures must quarantine.
Anyone who was told to quarantine due to possible direct exposure at school needs to monitor symptoms.
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How long will my student's quarantine last?
Students who were possibly exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 may discontinue quarantine as follows:
After 10 full days have passed since your most recent exposure occurred, if you fulfill BOTH of the following criteria:
- Are NOT tested for COVID-19
- Do not experience any symptoms during your monitoring period
OR
After 7 full days have passed since your most recent exposure occurred, if you fulfill all THREE of the following criteria:
- Are tested for COVID-19,
- The test should be a diagnostic test (PCR or antigen) and the specimen for your test may not be collected more than 48 hours before the time of planned quarantine discontinuation. If you plan to discontinue quarantine after 7 full days, it should not be collected before day 5 of your quarantine period.
- Receive a negative result,
- You may not discontinue quarantine until you have completed a minimum of 7 full days since your most recent exposure, even if you receive your negative test result earlier. If your result is positive, you must follow DPH isolation guidance https://dph.georgia.gov/isolation-contact
- Do not experience any symptoms during your monitoring period.
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Are results from a rapid test accepted as proof for a 7 day quarantine?
Yes, diagnostic tests required for the 7-day quarantine can be rapid tests. Usually, on the lab report, you will see these identifiers:- Antigen
- Ag
- PCR
- NAA
- RNA
- RT-PCR
These are all acceptable as diagnostics. Currently, antibody tests are not accepted as diagnostic tests. -
When does quarantine start for non-household exposures?
When a student quarantines due to exposure to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, quarantine starts the day after the last day of exposure.
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When does quarantine start for household exposures?
If the household has a COVID-19 positive person, quarantine begins at the onset of the positive household member’s symptoms.
If the positive household member did not have symptoms, then the quarantine starts from the test date.
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From Georgia DPH concerning quarantining after already testing positive:
From Georgia DPH concerning quarantining after already testing positive:
- You do not need to isolate if you test positive within three months of a positive test you have already completed isolation for (unless you develop new symptoms).
- If you have developed new symptoms following a prior isolation and have tested positive again, you should complete isolation again.
- Additionally, if you have a new positive test 3 months after your prior infection, you will need to isolate and identify all close contacts for quarantine.
- You do not need to isolate if you test positive within three months of a positive test you have already completed isolation for (unless you develop new symptoms).