Quarantine/Contact Tracing

Local public health authorities determine and establish the quarantine options for their jurisdictions.

Students and staff should stay home if they have: 

• Tested positive (viral test) for COVID-19

• COVID-19 compatible symptoms

• Potential exposure to COVID-19 from: Close contact with a person with COVID-19 in the past 14 days

• Engaged in international travel in the past 10 days (unless fully vaccinated)

Siblings of a student who has symptoms and meets COVID-19 Exclusion Criteria should be excluded from school until the symptomatic individual receives a negative test result. 

• If the symptomatic individual tests positive, the sibling will need to self-quarantine.

The Central East region is currently in a high (orange) activity level, therefore exposed close contacts should be excluded from school for 14 days.

Contact the school nurse to find out when it is safe to return to school.

A Close Contact is defines as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period

• Exception: In the K–12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student (laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) where both the infected student and the exposed student(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time.  This exception does not apply to teachers, staff, or other adults in the indoor classroom setting.

School nurses collaborate with staff members and/or coaches to identify potential close contacts to a COVID-19 case.

In the school setting, excluded individuals who are close contacts of staff or students who tested positive for COVID-19 may be considered for a reduced exclusion period based on Regional Risk Levels: 

• High (orange) exposed close contacts should be excluded from school for 14 days. 

• Moderate or Low (yellow or green) exposed close contacts should be excluded from school for 10 days. (or 7 days with negative test results collected at 5-7 days).

• Schools serving medically complex or other high-risk individuals should use a 14-day exclusion period for the exclusion of these individuals or those who work closely with them when identified as close contacts throughout all risk levels.

Students and staff members returning to New Jersey after domestic travel will not be asked to quarantine, regardless of vaccination status.

Vaccinated students and staff members returning to New Jersey after international travel will not be asked to quarantine.

Unvaccinated students and staff members returning to New Jersey after international travel will be asked to quarantine.

• Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel.

  • Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.

  • If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.

  • If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.

• Remote learning will be available for unvaccinated students returning from international travel.

• Remote learning will not be available during travel, only during the quarantine period.

Parents/Guardians are expected to report travel plans in advance to the school principal, secretary, and nurse.