School Coronavirus Quarantines Could Be Limited In MA This Fall

MASSACHUSETTS — New state guidance could keep most students and staff in school buildings even after close contact exposure to a positive coronavirus case.

Local school districts would need to adopt the state "Test To Stay" program, which is aimed at limiting mandated quarantines.

In a memorandum to superintendents and other school leaders, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued guidance on Friday that recommends students and staff who are "asymptomatic and fully vaccinated [be] exempt from testing and quarantine response protocols."

Unvaccinated students and staff may also stay in school — as well as participate in all school activities such as sports — if they are part of a daily testing program and remain negative and asymptomatic.

Under the state's "Test To Stay" program, or a similar daily testing program a district may adopt, those tests will be performed daily at each participating school. If a student or staff member tests positive, they will be subject to quarantine and recovery rules similar to those of the 2020-21 school year.

"This testing and quarantine response protocol has been shown to be generally equivalent to quarantine for school-based contacts, and a safe alternative to at-home isolation," the guidance said. "If schools choose not to participate in the statewide COVID-19 testing program and do not participate in a similar testing initiative, unvaccinated individuals follow the traditional quarantine protocol."

The guidance said any participation in sports or similar extracurricular activities on a non-school day would require a negative rapid test.

The new guidance identifies close contacts in the classroom as only those who are within 3 feet of each other, while unmasked, for at least 15 minutes over a 24-hour period.

"An individual who is exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual in the classroom while both individuals were masked, so long as the individuals were spaced at least 3 feet apart, is exempt from testing and quarantine response protocols," the guidance said.

Those who have recovered from a coronavirus infection within the past 90 days, and remain asymptomatic, are also exempt from the testing requirement.

Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday reiterated his support for state guidance that "strongly recommends" masks for those in grades kindergarten through sixth grade because they are not yet eligible for vaccinations. And for those in seventh through 12th grade, as well as teachers and staff, who are vaccinated, he said "you don't have to (wear masks)."

He said the state is working to set up hundreds of vaccination clinics at schools across the state in the upcoming weeks and that school districts have the option to adopt more extensive mask, vaccine and quarantine protocols than the state guidance if they see fit.

"Giving locals the opportunity to own the decisions they make is a big and important issue," Baker said. "If you look at what's playing out in other states right now where the state government is taking away the authority for locals to make their own decisions, that's not the right way to play this game.

"It's just not."

Baker continued to stress vaccinations as the key to the continued easing of all state virus protocols.

"Vaccinations are the pathway out of this pandemic," Baker said. "Period."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)