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To: Superintendents, Private School Leaders, Charter School Leaders,
School Nurses, Reopening Advisors
From: Kati Moseley, ODE Ready Schools, Safe Learners Manager
Date: October 21, 2021
RE: Update to Quarantine Guidelines for K-12 Outdoor Settings
Colleagues,
Thank you for all that you do for students and families throughout Oregon. I am writing today to share the Oregon Health Authority’s update to their COVID-19 investigative guidelines. As of October 19, 2021, OHA has added an additional exception to determination of close contacts in K-12 settings.
OHA’s new exception may help decrease the number of students who are recommended by LPHAs to quarantine due to a COVID-19 exposure when certain conditions are met, and still ensure that our schools are as safe as possible for students and staff.
- In the K–12 outdoor setting (e.g., recess, outdoor classrooms), the close contact definition does not include students who were within 6 feet of an infected student where both students were engaged in consistent and correct use of well-fitting masks.
- This outdoor setting exception does not apply to exposures that occur during school athletics training, practices, or games.
The previous exception (known as the 3’ exception for K-12 settings) remains in place for K-12 indoor classroom settings.
- In the K–12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition does not include students who were 3 or more feet away from an infected student where both students were engaged in consistent and correct use of well-fitting masks.
It is important to understand that these exceptions do not apply to students who are exposed to infected teachers, staff, or other adults in the indoor classroom or outdoor setting, even if both parties are masked. Nor does it exempt adults in the classroom or outdoors who are exposed to an infected person, even if both parties are masked.
This means that:
- If an adult who is COVID-19 positive is within six feet indoors or outdoors of a student with masking in place, the student or students will have to quarantine.
- If a COVID-19 positive adult is within six feet of another adult with masking in place, those adults will need to quarantine.
- If a COVID-19 positive student is within six feet of an adult with masking in place, that adult will have to quarantine.
Thank you for your patience as we work on updates to the Ready Schools, Safe Learners Resiliency Framework and supporting documents related to this update from OHA.
If you have any questions about this update, please contact the ODE COVID-19 inbox at ODECOVID19@ode.state.or.us. Thank you!
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