Cullman County Schools releases revised Covid-19 protocol

CULLMAN COUNTY, Ala. – Positive diagnosis of student or staff:Per ADPH guidelines, positives must stay home for 10 days following the onset of symptoms or the positive test result. Individuals should be 24 hours without fever or fever-reducing medications and experience symptom improvement before returning from isolation.

Close contact: Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period, starting from two days before the infected person had symptoms OR if no symptoms, two days before the positive specimen collection date.

• Parents of students who possibly come in close contact with a positive individual will be notified. An exposure notification from ADPH will be sent home with the student.
• If close contact is properly masked, it is not necessary to send the close contact home if they are asymptomatic.
• Close contacts that are fully vaccinated will not be sent home if they are asymptomatic.
• Close contacts that had a positive test in the past three months will not be sent home if they are asymptomatic.
• The identified close contact will be sent home for 10 days after the last exposure.
• New Guidance: If a student remains symptom-free, they may return on day eight if they receive a negative test. That test MUST be performed on days five, six or seven following the date of exposure. The close contact MUST present the negative test result to the school before returning. Home COVID tests are NOT acceptable.

Mask and facial coverings: Masks and facial coverings are strongly recommended while indoors; however, they will not be required at this time. Masks will be required for everyone while on school buses to comply with the federal CDC order.

Vaccinations: Vaccinations are not required but are highly recommended for students ages 12 and older.

Self-Assess: Parents need to screen their children at home for signs or symptoms of any illness. A child with a temperature that is greater than 100 degrees or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 must stay at home.