(Reuters) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday that it will no longer recommend schools or daycares quarantine students or run test-to-stay programs if students are exposed to COVID-19.
The agency also said it is no longer recommending unvaccinated people quarantine after exposure, saying around 95% of the U.S. population has either been vaccinated or had COVID-19 already, or both.
“Prior infection and vaccination confer some protection against severe illness, and so it really makes the most sense to not differentiate with our guidance or our recommendations based on vaccination status at this time,” CDC scientist Dr. Greta Massetti said in a media briefing.
The CDC’s school guidance also removed recommendations to keep children in cohorts in order to reduce the likelihoood of COVID-19 exposure.
The agency said students who are exposed to COVID-19 should follow CDC recommendations to wear a high quality mask for 10 days and test on day 5.
(Reporting by Michael Erman, editing by Deepa Babington)
