LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has issued streamlined quarantine recommendations for schools to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 among younger age groups.
In a release Friday, the MDHHS said it recommends local health departments work with schools to quickly isolate COVID-19 cases.
"Schools have the ability to be safe now that children ages 5 and older can be vaccinated," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive at MDHHS.
"We continue to urge all eligible residents to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, as it is our best defense against the virus. Masks, distancing, quarantine and isolation are all additional strategies that keep our schools and public spaces safe."
Below are the new guidelines provided by the MDHHS:
- You isolate when you are infected with COVID-19 and have tested positive, even if you do not have symptoms. Isolation is used to separate people who are infected with COVID-19 from those who are not infected.
- You quarantine when you might have been exposed to COVID-19. This is because you might become infected with COVID-19 and could spread COVID-19 to others.
- Any individual that displays COVID-19 symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, should not attend school and should be tested for COVID-19.
COVID-19 School Quarantine Guidelines for Asymptomatic Students
- Fully vaccinated contacts without symptoms do not need to quarantine.
- Contacts that are not fully vaccinated and do not have symptoms:
- If masking was maintained, contacts can participate in school activities if wearing a mask for 14 days after exposure and using a "Test to Stay" strategy.
- If masking was not maintained, if additional testing and mitigation strategies are used, contacts may participate in school activities at the discretion of the local health department.
More information on the new guidelines can be viewed here.
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