As Covid-19 cases are still rising across the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shortened the recommended time for quarantine for both people with the virus and people who have been exposed. The CDC’s recommendations now state that people with the virus should “isolate for five days” then followed by “wearing a mask for five days.” Similarly, people who have been exposed to the virus and are not fully vaccinated should follow the same guidelines of those who have the virus. However, if you have received the vaccine and booster shot, you are not required to quarantine, but the CDC still recommends wearing a mask for 10 days after your exposure. 

As Florida is hitting its peak of omicron cases, Episcopal School of Jacksonville has also adjusted its Covid-19 protocol for continued health and safety on campus. Following closely with what the CDC recommends, students who have tested positive, regardless of vaccination status, are required to quarantine for five days. After the first five days, if there are no continued symptoms then the student may return to school, but will be required to mask indoors for five days following their positive test.

For students who have come in close contact with someone who has tested positive with the virus and are not fully vaccinated, they are required to follow the same precautions as someone who has the virus. If a fully vaccinated student comes in close contact with someone who has tested positive, they are not required to quarantine. On top of these new precautions, ESJ is also “strongly encouraging” that both students and teachers wear masks indoors. 

When asked, some students did not seem to be impartial to the quarantining policy change. A sophomore said, “I am kind of tired of worrying about this virus, but I think the school is doing a good job of keeping the numbers down.”

However, a senior does not agree with this statement. They said, “I think the school is too lenient on their quarantine policy. The virus is extremely contagious, and we should be cautious.”

Some students have even suggested that we return to online remote learning until the number of cases goes down in Florida. Although there is not an agreed consensus among students about the new quarantine policy, the majority of students said they were hopeful that we could return to normal in the coming months.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.