The Arkansas Department of Education issued its latest response for on-site learning to help schools determine health risks in relation to covid-19 on Aug. 10.
The covid-19 vaccine is named as the most effective strategy to protect people from getting sick and to reduce the risk of people spreading covid-19, according to the Arkansas Ready for Learning plan.
Other safety precautions are physical distancing, a face covering, disinfecting, good hand hygiene and ventilation. The CDC recommends indoor masking for all individuals age 2 years and older, regardless of vaccination status. In general, people do not need to wear masks outdoors.
Understanding Terminology:
• Isolation - The education requires someone who has tested positive for covid-19 to isolate or attempt to completely separate from others for a minimum of 10 days.
• Probable Close Contact - Identified by the district point of contact, a probable close contact with an individual who has likely been within 6 feet for 15 cumulative minutes or longer within a 24-hour period to a person who has tested positive for covid-19. This person is expected to self-quarantine immediately per back-to-school guidelines from the last date of contact with the positive person and await his/her close contact status to be confirmed by ADH contact tracing.
• Close Contact - A close contact is an individual confirmed by ADH contact tracing who was within 6 feet for 15 cumulative minutes or longer within a 24-hour period of a person who has tested positive for covid-19. The close contact will be required to self-quarantine per back-to-school guidelines from the last day of contact with the infected person.
• Secondary Contact - A secondary contact is an individual who has had contact with someone identified as a close contact to a person who has tested positive for covid-19. In most instances, a secondary contact will not need to quarantine but is encouraged to monitor for signs and symptoms of covid-19.
• Quarantine - Quarantine is required for someone identified as a close contact to a person who has tested positive for covid-19.
Possible Exceptions To Quarantine Requirements:
• Individuals who have previously tested positive for covid-19 and recovered within 90 days do not have to quarantine, as long as they do not develop new symptoms.
• Individuals exposed to a confirmed case of covid-19 will not need to quarantine if the exposed individual has no symptoms and both the infected and exposed individual consistently and correctly were wearing a mask.
• Individuals who are fully vaccinated will not have to quarantine, provided they do not have symptoms.
SOURCE: ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION