Significant Updates for Second Semester of the 2021-2022 Academic Year

1. TK-12 Modified Quarantine for Students ("Test to Stay"): Modified quarantine allows asymptomatic students who were exposed to a person with diagnosed COVID-19 in any school setting where students are supervised by school staff (indoors, outdoors, or on a school buses) to continue in-person academic activities that are part of the regular school curriculum and provided during school hours. 
   
   
2. Shortened Isolation for Positive Individuals: Effective Monday, January 10, 2022, individuals who test positive may be released from isolation on Day 6, provided any symptoms are improving, they are fever-free for the past 24 hours without fever-reducing medication, and they have a negative (antigen) test result from a test taken on or after Day 5.
   
   
3. Shortened Quarantine for Close Contacts: Asymptomatic individuals who are identified as close contacts can be released from quarantine protocols on Day 6, provided they remain asymptomatic and have a negative test result from a test taken on or after Day 5. Tests can be either PCR or rapid antigen. This refers to individuals who are exposed outside of school and/or where mask-enforcement cannot be confirmed.
   
   
4. Updated Quarantine Exemptions: Individuals who are fully vaccinated are exempt from quarantine. All other individuals are subject to quarantine protocols; students may be eligible for modified quarantine. In order to remain in school, close contacts who are exempt from quarantine are still required to test on or after Day 5 after the date of last exposure.
   
   
5. Surgical-Grade Mask Requirement: Beginning the week of Monday, January 10, 2022, all employees must wear surgical-type masks or higher-level PPE (e.g., KN95 or N95 respirator masks). Employees may no longer wear a cloth mask by itself.  A cloth mask may be worn over a surgical-style disposable mask as a layer to “double-mask.” Mask should fit well and provide adequate protection. Students are strongly encouraged, but not required, to wear well-fitting, non-cloth masks of multiple layers with a nose wire. Masking will be required for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, indoors and outdoors except when eating or drinking. Disposable masks will be provided to students and staff in need of one at the entry of their campus. 

Detailed Guidance on Exposure Management Protocols

Modified Quarantine

LACDPH allows for asymptomatic students who are identified as close contacts to participate in modified quarantine (Test to Stay), in which exposed students continue to attend school in-person unless they develop symptoms or test positive. 

Schools must follow all LACDPH guidelines when implementing modified quarantine (Test to Stay) for unvaccinated students.

1. Modified quarantine (Test to Stay) can only be considered if:

• The exposure occurred in a TK-12 setting.
• The exposure to infection occurred in a school setting where students were supervised by school staff (i.e. classroom, school grounds with school staff present, school bus).
• The school can verify that both the infected student and the student identified as a close contact were mask compliant during the entire period of exposure, including outdoor exposure (masks must have been completely covering the individuals’ nose and mouth). Students with face mask accommodations are not allowed to participate in modified quarantine.  
• The exposure occurred in a school that does not have a confirmed active outbreak, as determined by LACDPH. An outbreak is when significant transmission (confirmed epi- linked cases) has occured at a school within a 14-day period. Schools with confirmed outbreaks may not implement modified quarantine.

If any of the above criteria are not met, the exposed student(s) must be directed to quarantine at home. Asymptomatic students quarantining at home can test on or after Day 5 and be released from quarantine on Day 6 if they test negative via an antigen or PCR test.

1. Students eligible to participate in modified quarantine will be allowed on campus.
2. Students in modified quarantine (Test to Stay) must be asymptomatic. All students will be required to respond to the School Pass health screening questions. Symptoms must be monitored daily, and if symptoms develop, the student cannot continue to participate in modified quarantine. Symptomatic close
   contacts must isolate at home and get tested immediately, preferably in the WISH drive-through testing or a walk up CoVerify/ FlowHealth site. If they test positive,
   they must follow isolation protocols.
   
3. Students who are participating in modified quarantine (Test to Stay) should be given the opportunity to participate in the full instructional program during the school
   day, including recess and lunch time. However, the school must not allow students in modified quarantine to participate in extracurricular activities,
   including sports, clubs, WestLA Extended Day, and other before and after school care or programming. The modified quarantine is meant to let students
   continue learning during the instructional day but does not cover other activities outside of the regular school curriculum. Students must leave campus after school
   and go directly home.
   
4. Students in modified quarantine must wear a surgical-style mask or higher PPE at all times on school grounds except when they are eating or drinking. The
   school site should make arrangements and ensure students in modified quarantine are distanced 6 feet during meal periods when masks are removed. School sites
   will provide upgraded masks to students in modified quarantine if needed.
   
5. Individuals participating in modified quarantine must be tested twice per week for the duration of the quarantine period (“Test to Stay”). Tests can be either a rapid
   antigen test or a PCR test. The first test should be conducted at initial exposure or as soon as possible after the exposure (Day 1); the second test should ideally be
   on or after Day 5, so that the student can be released from quarantine on Day 6 if they test negative on a PCR or antigen test.

Close Contact Definition

A “close contact” is defined as

• A person who was within six feet of a positive case for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during the positive case’s infectious period (48 hours prior to the date of the test if asymptomatic or the date of symptom onset, whichever came first), even if non-medical face masks were worn during the exposure.
  
  
• A person who had unprotected contact with the positive case’s body fluids and/or secretions is also considered a close contact.
  
  An individual is not necessarily a close contact because they share a classroom or participate in group activities with the positive case; it is important that administrators and teachers are judicious in identifying only students and staff who meet the definition of a close contact.

Quarantine Periods and Testing for Early Release
If not exempt from quarantine, all close contacts must quarantine for at least 5 days. Quarantine periods begin the day after the last day the individual was exposed to the positive case. For example, “Day 0” represents the last day the individual was in close contact with the positive case, “Day 1” represents the day following last exposure, “Day 5” represents five days following the last exposure, and so on.

Individuals in modified quarantine can end their quarantine period on Day 6 (on the 6th day or later from the last time the individual was in close contact with the positive case), if they have no symptoms and test negative with a test taken on or after Day 5. If they do not take a test on or after Day 5, the individual must remain in modified quarantine for a full 10 days after exposure.

Exemptions from Quarantine

The following individuals are not required to quarantine, provided they are asymptomatic:

• Fully vaccinated individuals who are eligible for and have received a booster
• Vaccinated individuals who are not yet eligible for a booster
• Students and employees who have recovered from laboratory-confirmed COVID- 19 within the last 90 days.

Individuals who are exempt from quarantine will be notified if they are identified as close contacts. In order to stay at work or school, they are required to test on Day 5 after exposure with either a PCR or rapid antigen test. Individuals must also monitor symptoms and wear upgraded masks for 10 days following exposure (See Attachment A: Updated Masking Requirements).

Shortened Isolation Periods for Positive Cases

All individuals who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate at home for at least 5 days. Individuals who test positive may be released from isolation on Day 6, provided all symptoms are improving, they are fever-free for the past 24 hours without fever-reducing medication, and they have a negative (antigen) test result from a test taken on or after Day 5.

Symptomatic Individuals Without a Confirmed Positive Test

In the event of COVID-19 symptom onset during the school day, Site Administrators will follow LACDPH’s Decision Pathways protocols. A staff member wearing a medical-grade mask should escort the symptomatic individual to the dedicated isolation area immediately (ideally outdoors); provide the individual with a medical-grade mask; contact a parent/guardian to ensure the student is picked up and taken home as soon as possible; monitor the student in the isolation area until they are picked up; and instruct the individual to test for COVID-19 as soon as possible, preferably at an CoVerify/Flowhealth site or COVID-19 alternate testing site for symptomatic or exposed individuals.

Symptomatic individuals must stay home until fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever- reducing medication and symptoms have improved. Symptomatic individuals are encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible, preferably at an CoVerify/FlowHealth or COVID-19 alternate testing site (for symptomatic or exposed individuals).