No Contact Tracing At NJ School As Mask Mandate End Approaches

HOWELL, NJ — New Jersey school districts have begun to announce changes to their existing COVID-19 protocols as the state mask mandate ends on March 7. Among them is Howell Township Public Schools, which recently announced its discontinuation of COVID-19 contact tracing efforts.

On Wednesday, Feb. 9, Howell Township Public Schools Superintendent Joseph Isola announced that starting Thursday, the school district would no longer be contract tracing. This means that in-school close contacts will no longer be identified and required to be quarantined.

"However, symptomatic individuals, household close contacts, and those who test positive for COVID-19 will still be required to follow appropriate exclusion protocols," said Isola in a letter to district parents.

Howell will also pivot to a mask-optional environment in accordance with Gov. Murphy’s recent announcement. In the same letter, Isola wrote that the remote learning program will return to only being available for grades 3 to 8.

"We are committed to providing a safe learning environment for all individuals and will monitor available data relative to COVID-19. We will maintain good hygiene and safety protocols, such as physical distancing to every extent practicable," continued Isola.

Any additional modifications to the district's COVID-19 protocols will be updated as deemed necessary throughout the rest of the school year.