Sussex-Wantage makes COVID-19 quarantine process voluntary

The Sussex-Wantage Regional School District Board of Education on May 12 recently updated its COVID-19 restart and recovery plan to allow all students and staff to voluntarily quarantine if they are exposed to a COVID-19-infected person.

According to the updated plan, which took effect on May 9, in-school close contacts of a COVID-19 positive individual will be notified that they are a close contact, and they shall not be excluded from school or work but may voluntarily self-quarantine.

Students who voluntarily self-quarantine due to being identified as an in-school close contact will be eligible for special instruction from up to five days from the date of close contact.

Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 will still need to undergo a mandatory quarantine.

Designated close contacts or their parents should monitor for COVID-19 symptoms daily and not return to school will symptomatic. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that any individual designated as a close contact undergo a COVID-19 screening test five days after close contact.

The district’s COVID-19 protocol is limited only to in-school close contacts and does not affect close contacts that have occurred outside of school.