GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Green Bay school board has updated its quarantine and masking policies. Quarantining will still be required in some situations, but not all. Masking will also be required, unless Brown County’s rolling seven-day average changes.
Green Bay students may be spending less time out of the classroom with the district’s updated quarantine polices effective Dec. 14.
When discussing students who are close contacts with a non-household member and asymptomatic, superintendent Stephen Murley said the majority of those COVID-19 tests were coming back negative.
“What we found is many of those kids stay healthy. They do not wind up testing positive and therefore as we look at what the next steps for us might be as a district we would like to have discussions to changing that quarantine status for asymptomatic, non-household contacts for students.”
CLICK HERE: Green Bay School District Updated Quarantine Protocols Chart
Vaccinated asymptomatic students who are in close contact with a household members or non-household member no longer have to quarantine or get a PCR test. They are just asked to monitor for symptoms.
Unvaccinated asymptomatic students, whose close contact is a non-household member, will also no longer have to quarantine or get a test. If the close contact is a household member for an unvaccinated and asymptomatic student, this will require a 20 day quarantine. The student can get tested on day 16 and return on day 18, if the PCR test is negative.
For any symptomatic students with a non-household close contact, a PCR test is required, and a quarantine awaiting results. If negative, students can return to school. If positive, or refuse to test, student must isolate for 10 days. For household close contacts, a PCR test is required and quarantine. If negative and fully vaccinated, students can return. If not vaccinated and negative, students must quarantine for 20 days. If positive, isolate for 10 days and return on day 11.
District staff credit two reasons for the new policies.
“At about 2% student positivity for kids, that’s quite low, distancing and masking is helping keep those numbers down,” said director of school nurses, Kristen Johnson.
“Kids ages five and up now have access to vaccine which changes things as well,” said another employee of the district.
Also beginning Tuesday masks will still be required inside district buildings and optional outside. But, masking can be eliminated d when COVID-19 positive cases 7-day average in Brown County are at or below 100 per 100-thosuand over the course of 7 straight days. But, masks can be re-implemented if the 7-day average in brown County reaches 200 per 100,000 in any single day.
The new quarantine policies will not apply for head start or 4K, since those younger students are not eligible for the vaccine.
The district considers students fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their final dose. Students do not need a booster to be considered fully vaccinated, unless CDC definition of fully vaccinated changes.
The district will begin working with families to allow students to stop quarantining and return to school if eligible under new quarantine protocols.
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