Yes. The Maryland Department of Health recently shared new guidance on modified quarantine policies for schools. City Schools takes many steps that minimize the spread of infection and align with the state’s updated guidance. This includes widespread use of rapid antigen tests and PCR tests, along with masking, air filtration, vaccine requirements for staff, and vaccine availability for students age 5 and up.

Reducing the length of isolation and quarantine means students and staff can miss fewer days of school and focus on teaching and learning.

Isolation separates a person with a contagious disease from people who are not sick. This means that anyone who tests positive for COVID should have no contact with other people for at least five days, including members of their own household. (Parents/guardians of children who are too young to be left alone and unsupervised for long periods should take reasonable steps to minimize contact—for example, by limiting interaction to one adult family member, wearing masks at home, and opening windows when feasible.) 

Quarantine separates people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick. This means that close contacts of someone who tests positive must stay home, but they can have limited contact with other members of their household.

If your elementary or elementary/middle school child is a part of a positive pool or if your child tests positive on an individual rapid test, your school will notify you of the test result. If your middle, middle/high, or high school student tests positive, your school will notify you or you can check for your student’s test results online by following these directions. City Schools' contact-tracing team will also contact you about any household close contacts who need to quarantine and let you know when your child can return to school. 

If your child is identified as a close contact of someone in school was has COVID, the contact-tracing team or a staff member at your child’s school will contact you. If you have agreed to in-school testing on the consent form, your child can take a rapid antigen test at school. If the test is positive, your school will contact you with the results and information about the isolation requirements. (If the test is negative, your child can remain in school.)

Not necessarily. A person who tests positive for COVID can return to school on Day 6 if they have no symptoms or if symptoms are improving. According to the Baltimore City Department of Health, this means that the person

• Is fever free for 24 hours without use of fever-reducing medications 
• Has no new acute cough, persistent cough, or worsening cough (chronic cough from baseline conditions should be distinguished from any new acute cough and is not a reason to be excluded from returning to school)
• Has minimal or completely resolved sore throat 
• Had no vomiting or diarrhea in the preceding 24 hours
• Has no or minimal congestion, runny nose, or other symptoms that interfere with mask-wearing

If the COVID-positive person has any of these symptoms and they are not getting better on Day 5 of isolation, they should remain home until 24 hours after they begin to improve.

(Note that if symptoms included loss of taste or smell, this may be ongoing but is not a reason to be excluded from returning to school.)

The Baltimore City Health Department manages contact tracing and other aspects of COVID cases outside of school. If you or your child has close contact outside of school with someone who tests positive for COVID, then the Health Department’s quarantine requirements must be followed. If you are contacted by the Health Department and asked to quarantine, please make sure to notify your school.

If students have symptoms and test positive for COVID, they are marked with an excused absence during the isolation period and any additional days they need to recover. If they do not have symptoms or feel better before the minimum five days of isolation have passed, then they can participate in remote learning and be marked present for those days.

Attendance for unvaccinated students who are close contacts of someone with COVID depends on the circumstances:

• If the close contact was in school and the unvaccinated student does not participate in in-school testing, then the student must quarantine at home for five days and this is marked as an unexcused absence.
  • City Schools’ test-to-stay program helps students stay in school safely. All students are encouraged to participate. With test to stay, close contacts get a rapid test at school. If the results are negative, they do not have to quarantine and can stay in school.
  • Instead of in-school test to stay, a close contact can return to school by providing proof of a negative COVID test. This test must be done by a medical provider and you must pay any associated costs; at-home testing with a rapid test kit does not meet the requirements. 
• If the close contact was outside of school, the unvaccinated student must quarantine as outlined in guidance from the Baltimore City Health Department. The student can do schoolwork from home and be marked present; otherwise, the student will be marked with an unexcused absence for the five-day quarantine period.

Participating in City Schools’ in-school testing program means that unvaccinated students can avoid missing school or being marked with unexcused absences. Parents/guardians can consent to testing by completing and returning the form below.

Download the consent form to your school: English | Spanish

Please send a note from your doctor to your school. If your child is not feeling well enough to do remote schoolwork, they will be marked with an excused absence. If your child is well enough for remote learning during the extended quarantine, they will be marked present.