Student-Athletes Don't Have To Quarantine After COVID Exposure

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio student-athletes are no longer required to quarantine after an incidental classroom exposure to COVID-19, Gov. Mike DeWine announced this week.

On Monday, DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Stephanie McCloud signed a new order changing the state's quarantine rules for student athletes.

"For spring sports and extracurricular activities, students will not be required to quarantine because they have an incidental exposure to COVID-19 in a classroom under the school-based exposure guidance unless symptoms develop," the Ohio Department of Health said.

Instead, students can continue participating in sports and other activities, as long as they are symptom-free and follow all applicable safety protocols.

"However, students who are exposed in other settings outside of the classroom will be required to continue following existing CDC quarantine guidance," the health department said.

The full health order can be viewed online.

To aid school districts in tracing COVID-19, the state is ramping up its support of coronavirus testing.

"We're making rapid testing available in K-12 schools to increase confidence and safety in our schools. Soon we'll be shipping more than 200,000 of the at-home tests to our Educational Service Centers, and I encourage our school districts to take advantage of the resource," DeWine said Monday.