January 7, 2022

Today (1/7/22), the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that they are revising the existing regulations and guidance regarding isolation and quarantine for schools in Illinois to align with the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, which was released on January 4, 2022. You can find the complete guidance here. 

The most significant change in guidance for students who are isolating with a positive COVID-19 test is that they are now able to return 5 days after the onset of symptoms (or 5 days after specimen collection date if no symptoms are present), if the following criteria are met:

• Continue to wear a well-fitted mask around others for 5 additional days after release from isolation. 
• Avoid being around students or staff who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease.
• If masks need to be removed (e.g., for lunch), ensure 6 feet of physical distancing until 10 days after symptom onset or positive test.

The most significant change in guidance for students who have been a close contact to COVID-19 is that students who are not fully vaccinated:

• Are to stay home and mask around others for 5 days and then continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
• Should test on day 5, if possible.
• Should immediately isolate if symptoms develop until a negative test confirms symptoms are not caused by COVID-19.

Fully vaccinated students are still not required to quarantine. 

Please know CCSD93 will phase this guidance in as quickly as possible while developing safe and effective procedures for implementation. District and building administrators are working on plans that will allow for returns of isolating students after 5 days to the greatest extent possible, however there may be scenarios where 6 feet of distance cannot be kept during lunchtime, and isolation for some students may need to extend beyond 5 days. Students who are currently quarantined or isolated are still to return to school on the date they were originally provided by the school nurse unless otherwise notified. 

CCSD93 is pleased that this updated guidance will allow for greater student attendance. School nurses and/or administrators will continue to guide families through their return to school date from quarantine or isolation.

As a reminder, all mitigation strategies, including masking, remain in place. Please ensure your child arrives at school or on their school bus with a properly fitting mask in place.

Our goal remains to not only ensure the health and safety of our students and staff but to minimize the amount of days missed due to exposure at school. It is critically important that children are kept home from school when experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Fever of higher than 100.3° F or chills
• New cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue from unknown cause
• Muscle or body aches from unknown cause
• Confusion or change in mental status
• Pale, gray or blue skin, lips or nail beds
• Repeated shaking with chills (rigors)
• New onset of moderate/severe headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Persistent chest pressure or pain
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Congestion or runny nose

Thank you for your continued support.