HCPS Special Announcement
January 3, 2022
Updated COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Protocols, Effective January 4, 2022
Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) has updated COVID-19 quarantine and isolation protocols to align with the updated CDC guidance released on December 27, 2021. The following is effective Tuesday, January 4, 2022:
COVID-19 TESTING FOR STUDENTS IN SCHOOL
If your child is sick, DO NOT send them to school. Please consult your physician. Students who arrive to school with COVID-19 symptoms will NOT receive testing at school; schools are NOT testing sites. Parents and guardians will be contacted to pick their child up from school and will need to consult their physician or the Harford County Health Department for testing information. Students will not be permitted into their classroom and will be isolated to the best of the school’s ability while they wait for their parent/guardian to arrive at school.
In-school COVID-19 testing is reserved for those students who develop COVID-19 symptoms during the school day.
COVID-19 testing in HCPS schools includes:
- Rapid antigen testing for symptomatic students, only if the symptoms develop during the school day. Again, nurses will NOT test students who arrive at school sick.
- PCR required testing for asymptomatic students through the COVID-19 screening program for afterschool athletics and drama programs.
- We are finalizing plans for a weekly, voluntary COVID-19 screening clinic for staff.
- We are finalizing plans for multiple pop-up clinics for students and staff over the next two weeks. This is for students and staff who are asymptomatic (not showing signs of COVID-19), have not been identified as a close contact, and choose to be tested.
COVID-19 SYMPTOMS
As a reminder, COVID-19 symptoms include fever of 100.0° or higher, sore throat, cough, difficulty breathing, diarrhea or vomiting, new onset of severe headache (especially with fever), or new loss of taste or smell.
NEW COVID-19 QUARANTINE AND ISOLATION- EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 using any test should isolate at home for a minimum of 5 days and remain isolated if symptoms develop and persist. Please note that if your child tests positive, they should not continue recreational activities or participate in any events with family or friends.
*This update applies to students and staff who were completing a 10- or 14-day quarantine or isolation as of January 4, 2022. The requirement is reduced to 5 days, which you may have already met, and monitoring symptoms, as detailed above.*
*If you spoke to your school nurse prior to today about your quarantine or isolation period, they were operating under the guidelines at that time. This change is effective as of this notification and may require re-evaluation of your return date.*
Individuals who test negative for COVID-19 using a rapid or home test, but remain symptomatic, should seek PCR testing with your physician or the Harford County Health Department. Families or staff who opt to use home testing kits should email a picture of the test result with their name and date of test printed on the test kit to the school nurse. Regardless of a negative result, any person with COVID-19 symptoms should stay home and monitor your symptoms.
School nurses will do contract tracing on extended high-risk activities, such as household contacts or athletic activities. Individuals identified as close contact will be required to quarantine for 5 days. If symptoms develop or a positive test occurs during quarantine, the individual will be required to isolate.
CLASSROOM AND SCHOOLWIDE OUTBREAK NOTIFICATIONS
Your school will inform you of a classroom or school-wide outbreak designated by the Harford County Health Department. HCPS will NOT notify you of an individual case of COVID-19 in your child’s classroom or school. HCPS updates our COVID-19 dashboard daily. It includes the number of students in isolation and quarantine by school at hcps.org.
RESOURCES DURING QUARANTINE OR ISOLATION
If you keep your child home for COVID-19 symptoms and provide that information to your school, or if your child is placed on quarantine or in isolation, your child’s teacher will provide information on how to access and utilize itsLearning. Please note, it may take up to 48 hours to prepare this information for your child. Additional resources for students in quarantine or isolation can be found at https://www.hcps.org/covidresources/. Again, it may take up to 48 hours to respond to any requests or inquiries received through this support. We understand this may be frustrating for families and ask for your understanding as staff work as quickly as possible to ensure your child continues to receive valuable instruction while out of the classroom. An updated frequently asked questions can be found on hcps.org at “COVID-19 Resources.”
MOVING FORWARD, HCPS TOGETHER
Keeping our students in school and healthy remains our priority. We can only do this with your help. Due to the prevalence of COVID-19 and possible exposure in all settings, including school, community, and home, we ask that you monitor your child daily for symptoms. Take COVID-19 precautions of masking and distancing in all possible settings. As a reminder, if your child will be out of school for any reason, please provide that information to your child’s school as soon as possible.
We will continue our mitigation strategies to ensure schools remain a safe environment for students and staff. Schools will enforce masking protocols, provide opportunities for handwashing throughout the school day, and continue to maintain distance between students whenever possible. In addition, updates to our operational status can be viewed at hcps.org. The operational update includes important changes focused on keeping students in class. This includes canceling all afterschool activities not included in the COVID-19 diagnostic testing program (or proof of vaccination from participants), field trips, and assemblies. HCPS facilities will be closed to outside groups; please note that before/after care will be allowed to operate in schools.
We currently have no plans for a system-wide closure. If directed by the Harford County Health Department, or if staffing shortages do not allow for safe school operations, individual grade levels or schools may need to move to virtual instruction for a specific amount of time. Our plan for any necessary virtual instruction includes daily attendance, special education services, internet hotspot disbursement as needed, virtual access to school counselors, meal kit distribution, and various supports for the needs of our students and teachers.
We all can do our part to keep schools open and keep students healthy. HCPS will continue proactive efforts to support vaccine clinics in schools, monitor guidance from local and state health officials, and communicate any changes with our community. When schools are operating on a regular schedule, any delays to our transportation services can be tracked through our School Bus Route Status. In addition to utilizing our mass communication system, we will continue to share system updates in the green News Alert at the top of hcps.org. General questions may be sent to COVID19questions@hcps.org.