Contact Tracing Guidance:

• In K-12 settings (both indoor & outdoor), a student who is within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student for 15 minutes or more is NOT considered a close contact as long as both students wore well-fitting masks the entire time.
• Students within 3ft. of an infected student for 15 minutes or more would have had an exposure that would result in quarantine, regardless of masks.
• Having direct exposure to respiratory secretions of someone with COVID-19 (e.g., being coughed or sneezed on) is also considered close contact in any setting.
• If a mask is not worn, the 3-6ft exception would not apply and therefore, any person within 6ft or less for at least 15 minutes or more in a 24-hour period would be identified as a close contact.

• • A person with COVID-19 is considered to be contagious starting from 2 days before they became sick (or 2 days before test specimen collection if they never had symptoms) until they meet the criteria to discontinue isolation.
  • In all contact tracing encounters, there will be exceptions for unique circumstances determined in consultation with the Mount Rogers Health District COVID-19 Epidemiologist or the Epi PHN in the local health department.

Quarantine Guidance:

• Students or staff do not have to quarantine after an exposure if they have had COVID-19 within 90 days, as long as they do not develop symptoms.
• Students or staff do not have to quarantine if they have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 as long as they have no symptoms after their exposure.
  • Fully vaccinated students and staff should still wear a mask and test 3-5 days after their exposure regardless of symptoms.
  • Fully vaccinated means 2 weeks or more have passed since receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series, or 2 weeks or more have passed since receipt of 1 dose of a single-dose vaccine.
• People who are not required to quarantine after exposure must still watch for COVID-
  19 symptoms for 14 days. People who are not fully vaccinated should follow all other recommendations until fully vaccinated (e.g. mask, distance, avoid crowds and poorly ventilated areas, wash hands often).
• If a student is a household contact to someone with COVID-19, VDH recommends that they quarantine (stay home) while the infected person is in isolation and for the appropriate amount of time after the person has been released from isolation (because exposure is considered ongoing within the house).