The Oregon Health Authority issued new guidance for the state’s schools, Susan Penrod, Seaside School District superintendent, said at last week’s board of directors meeting. These impact testing, quarantine and procedures for vaccinated and unvaccinated students and staff.

“The quarantine time has been reduced from 10 to five days, so our staff and our students who test positive can return after five days if they’re symptom-free for 24 hours,” she said.

The Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Education want to do everything possible to keep school in person, she said. “They know that both our local health authorities and school districts have been overwhelmed with contact tracing.”

New virus cases, linked to the omicron variant, have surged across Oregon. Virus case numbers have jumped in schools in Clatsop County since students returned to classes after the holidays.

Schools were advised by the Oregon Health Authority that they do not have to contact trace if schools are consistently wearing masks.

“Our students, our staff are really great about that,” she said. “This qualifies us to only need to contact trace for times when masks are not being worn. And those are exposures during meal times when masks can’t be worn and then any extracurricular activities. When masks are not worn.”

Examples include band, choir and athletics.

Exposed, fully vaccinated children and adults who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination series are not subject to quarantine and may continue to attend school.

The state’s “test-to-stay” program is for unvaccinated students who have been exposed to COVID-19, Penrod said.

Exposed students are tested for COVID-19 at the school testing site.

If COVID-19 test results are positive, they must immediately isolate themselves at home. If negative, they may continue to attend school as long as they don’t have or develop COVID-19 symptoms. Students will be tested twice within a five-day period.

When an unvaccinated child is exposed at home or during extracurricular activities where masking is optional, the test-to-stay protocol is not an option.