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Savannah Tryens-Fernandes is a reporter for The Alabama Education Lab and is supported by a grant from Report for America.
The Alabama Department of Public Health has changed its back-to-school guidelines to include a new “Test to Stay” quarantine model.
The change now allows students and staff who were considered close contact to return to school after 8 days of quarantine, if they are able to present a negative PCR test. Previously, people exposed at the school had to be quarantined for at least 10 days, but did not have to show test results.
Home COVID test results will not be accepted. The same exceptions to quarantine – being fully vaccinated and asymptomatic, having recovered from COVID in the past 3 months, or both parties being masked – still apply.
Tell the Alabama Education Lab how your school is dealing with COVID.
Voluntary in-school testing provided by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and ADPH began this week at Montgomery Public Schools in an effort to limit disruption to in-person learning. According to State Superintendent Eric Mackey, more than 100 schools have chosen to participate.
“Ultimately, testing is an important way to maintain a safe learning environment and to protect students, teachers, staff, those they visit every day and the community at large,” said Dr Martha Wingate, chair of the Department of Health Care Organization. and policy at the UAB School of Public Health about the program.
Read more: Public school test results show impact of pandemic.
The new testing directive comes as cases in schools continue to decline. The ADPH school dashboard listed 2,487 cases this week, with all but two districts reporting, up from 3,802 last week and 6,382 cases the week of September 17.
Due to the drop in cases, Baldwin County, City of Dothan, City of Gulf Shores, County of Houston, City of Leeds, City of Saraland and County of Shelby have all removed their mask warrants. , according to the statewide Alabama Education Lab tracker. Demopolis City and Jefferson County have decided to extend their rules.
The ADPH issued a press release on Tuesday urging the continuation of masking and other preventive measures in schools.
Almost 23% of cases in Alabama involve school-aged children, many of whom are still not eligible for the vaccine, officials say.
“Practicing COVID-19 preventative measures in schools is essential to keeping our children in the classroom where they can learn in a safe environment,” said Dr. Wes Stubblefield, former president of the Alabama chapter of the ‘American Academy of Pediatrics.
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