LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. (WDVM) – Loudoun County Public Schools is lowering its quarantine period requirements.
Students who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated who are exposed to COVID-19 will now only have to quarantine for 10 days, shorter than the previous 14-day regulation.
Children who are fully vaccinated and have no COVID-19 symptoms will not need to quarantine. However, students who are identified as close contact with a COVID-infected person will still have to adhere to quarantine guidelines.
Superintendent Scott Ziegler says the new rules will prioritize in-person attendance.
“For a lot of children and their families, quarantining for 14 days is a hardship, economically and in regard to their mental health. This is especially true in grades kindergarten through six, where students are not yet eligible to be vaccinated.”
Superintendent Scott Ziegler
According to a press release from LCPS, since the 2021-22 school year began on August 26, “there have been 59 student COVID-19 cases reported out of a student population of 81,569. This translates to a rate of .0072 or .07% of students. A total of 259 students or .32% (a rate of .0032) have been quarantined as a close contact to an individual confirmed to have COVID-19.”