Idaho Falls School District 91 implementing new COVID guidelines effective today

The following is from Idaho Falls School District 91.

IDAHO FALLS — The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has issued new guidance on quarantine periods for K-12 students and staff who have been in close contact with someone at school who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Idaho Falls School District 91 plans to implement this new guidance beginning today, Monday, Jan. 11.

• If the person who tests positive and the person in close contact were both wearing masks that cover their nose and mouth, the close contact does not need to isolate for 10 days as previously directed.
• The close contact can continue to attend in-person classes, but should monitor themselves closely for COVID-19 symptoms for two weeks after exposure.
• COVID-19 symptoms include: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, headache, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea.
• If the close contact develops symptoms, they should stay home and contact a healthcare provider.
• Students and staff who are in close contact with someone who has tested positive outside of an instructional setting are still required to isolate as directed by health officials. Those quarantine periods are 10 days as long as the individual has not experienced any symptoms during the quarantine or 7 days if they have a negative test and have not experienced any symptoms during the quarantine.

Click here to view the guidance.

We will continue to identify and notify students who have been in close contact with someone at school who has tested positive for COVID-19, and will follow all the other protocols that have been put in place to try and minimize the spread of the virus in our schools. We will provide additional updates as more or different information becomes available.