Glen Rock Schools Adjust COVID Quarantine Rules

GLEN ROCK, NJ — The New Jersey Department of Health released the latest COVID-19 Activity Level Report on Thursday, which brought unwelcome news to the state. COVID-19 transmission risk levels have risen to high, which will also bring changes to Glen Rock Schools protocol.

District officials released a letter explaining the changes to the community this week, with those changes mainly affecting quarantine periods.

With the rise in activity level, the district said they would keep the quarantine period for people who test positive for COVID-19 to 1o days, but any unvaccinated person who is deemed a close contact of someone positive will need to quarantine for 14 days.

Students and staff won't be able to test out of the quarantine period any longer, and must remain outside the school for the full 14 days.

Vaccinated people aren't required to quarantine if they've been in close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, the district said.

"As cases begin to rise in Glen Rock, we must continue to do our best to follow COVID-19 guidance such as washing hands, keeping masks over our nose and mouth in school, and keeping students home if they do not feel well. We also encourage parents to consider getting their child vaccinated by taking advantage of the upcoming Glen Rock Vaccination clinic on December 21st, 2021 for students ages 5-11," the district said.

The Department of Health is reporting 543 new student cases of COVID-19 in Bergen County schools, as well as 112 new cases among staff across all reporting schools.