Dearborn Public Schools is updating its quarantine guidance as of Sept. 20, 2021.
The new rules, created with input from the Wayne County Health Department, will allow more students and staff to get tested to stay in school even after they are exposed to a case of COVID-19.
Parents are reminded that wearing masks and vaccinating eligible students remains the best way to keep kids safe and in class.
Quarantines now will only be absolutely required in cases where the close contact is not fully vaccinated and either the close contact or the person who has COVID-19 was not wearing a mask.
Students who are fully vaccinated or had a positive COVID-19 test in the last five months do not need to quarantine even if they are a close contact.
Students can use testing to avoid quarantines if they are not vaccinated but both the close contact and the COVID positive person were wearing masks. Currently, Wayne County requires all students, staff and visitors inside schools to wear masks.
For the most part, the new guidelines apply to students and staff whether they were exposed at school or outside of school.
During the week ending Sept. 17, Dearborn Public School had 54 reported COVID cases on school grounds among more than 22,000 students and staff in our buildings.
A graphic explaining the new guidance is available on the district’s COVID page.