The recommendation regarding days to quarantine for Covid-19 exposure has decreased

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As of December 2, 2020, the Center for Disease Control has now introduced two new options for quarantine length for those exposed to Covid-19. If someone is contacted and told to quarantine due to exposure for more than fifteen minutes within six feet of a person who tests positive for Covid-19, they now only need to quarantine for seven days if they test negative for the disease and present no symptoms. If a person isn’t able to be tested but shows no symptoms, the new CDC recommendation is ten days

This new recommendation may be a relief for SJHS students if in person school resumes next Wednesday. Before at home learning began in November, some students had been told to quarantine because students next to them had tested positive for Covid-19. After testing negative and presenting no symptoms, the contact-traced students would be required to continue missing school until their fourteen day quarantine was met, potentially missing ten days of in person learning.

It is important to note that the school or the Michigan Health department may decide to stick to the old guideline of fourteen days of quarantine for students exposed.