COVID-19 remains an issue as South Florida students start new school year
MIAMI – Students across South Florida are settling into their second week of school and while this is the most normal start to the school year since the start of the 2019 school year, COVID-19 does remain an issue for students to deal with.
Miami-Dade, Broward and Archdiocese of Miami schools all have specific rules for dealing with the virus, should your child test positive, or be a close contact.
In Miami-Dade, students who are sick with flu-like symptoms should remain home.
Parents must notify the school immediately if their child tests positive. The type of test does not matter. Both PCR and at-home tests will be accepted.
Parents just need to tell the school which type of test was used.
Students who test positive will then quarantine for five days, with the possibility of returning on day six if they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medicine.
Miami-Dade Schools will notify those determined to be close contacts of possible exposure, but quarantine is not recommended by the CDC.
In Broward, students who test positive and show symptoms must isolate for five days.
If they are fever free without the use of medicine, they can return to school on day six without a negative test.
Broward Schools will allow close contacts to remain in class, though parents do have the option to quarantine for no more than seven days after the last direct contact with a COVID-19 positive student.
Archdiocese of Miami schools requires parents to fill out an Exposure-Infection form to report either a close-contact or a COVID-19 diagnosis.
Students who test positive are required to isolate for five days and can return on day six with a mask if they no longer have symptoms.
If students continue to have symptoms, they will need to wait out a ten-day isolation.
No test is required to return to school.
Here are the policies broken down by district:
Miami-Dade:
Positive COVID-19 Test:
- We recommend that parents/guardians continue to conduct at-home assessment of their child(ren) before sending them to school. Students should not report to school sick (flu-like symptoms).
- If a child test positive for COVID-19, parents/guardians must immediately notify their child's school. It does not matter if it's an at-home test or PCR test.
- The parent will inform the school of the type of test they used.
- The child is required to self-isolate for 5-days, and may return on day 6 if they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
Close Contact
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend quarantine anymore; however, Miami-Dade County Public Schools will continue notifying parents/guardians of students who have been identified as close contact.
Broward:
Students who have tested positive and ARE experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should not attend school, attend school-sponsored activities or be on school property until:
- Five calendar days have passed (return on sixth day) since date of initial positive test or date of onset of symptoms and...
- Fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication
- No additional testing is required
Students who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are NOT experiencing symptoms (asymptomatic) should not attend school, attend school-sponsored activities or be on school property until:
- Five calendar days have passed (return on sixth day) since date of initial positive test AND
- Fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication
*Day 0 is the date of initial test if you are asymptomatic*
Students Exposed to COVID-19 (Close Contacts)
Students who have been exposed (direct contact) to an individual who received a positive COVID-19 test (exposed is defined as cumulative exposure for at least 15 minutes, within six feet) may follow the protocol below.
Broward Schools will allow parents or legal guardians the authority to choose how their child receives education after having direct contact with an individual who received a positive diagnostic test for COVID-19. Parents may choose one of the following options:
- Allow the student to attend school, school-sponsored activities, or be on school property, without restrictions or disparate treatment, so long as the student remains asymptomatic
OR
- Quarantine the student for a period not to exceed seven days from the date of last direct contact with an individual that is positive for COVID-19
Archdiocese of Miami