Some unvaccinated students in Connecticut may be able to stay in class even after close contact with someone with COVID-19, instead of staying home to isolate.
Connecticut Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani said the new standard will help schools avoid repeated quarantines from individual COVID-19 cases that can cost students classroom time.
“You have an opportunity, if you’re identified as a contact, to be screened for a number of symptoms — the things that we know COVID can cause — and if you don’t have those, you can keep coming to school,” she said.
Juthani said students will still have to wear masks consistently and correctly. She said data suggests that COVID-19 transmission is low as long as masks are used. Officials said some states like North Carolina and Arizona have tried similar initiatives with success.
The change occurs as children from 5 to 11 are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
