COVID-19 Guidance Updates and Case Clusters

Thank you for all you are doing to keep students and staff safe during this current surge!  Here are recent updates to our guidelines.

COVID-19 History:  The San Francisco Dept. of Public Health (SFDPH) has added back to their guidance that if a close contact has had COVID-19 in the past 3 months, they do not need to quarantine. 

Reminder (not new):  Anyone who is a close contact who develops symptoms during quarantine cannot return until 14 days have passed since the last close contact, and 10 days since the onset of symptoms.

COVID-19 Positive Case Cluster:

A “cluster” is defined as 3 or more COVID-19 cases in a classroom in a 14-day period, where people were likely infected in the classroom. 

When a cluster has been identified:

• Any staff/student in the classroom (not just close contacts) who is not up to date/fully vaccinated or who has not had COVID-19 in the past 3 months, must quarantine for the full 10 days, with no option to return early with a negative test. 
• Those who are up to date on vaccination/fully vaccinated, or who had COVID-19 in the past 3 months, can remain in school. 

Identifying Positive Case Clusters:

• Are there three or more cases in the same school location/classroom/indoor sports team/indoor club in a 14 day period?
• Were ALL of the cases on campus at the time when the positive case was contagious (aka exposure dates)?  The contagious period STARTS 48 hours before the date of symptom onset or a positive test, whichever is earlier. 
  • For example, if a student had symptoms on Jan. 7 and was on campus on Jan. 5, Jan. 6 and Jan. 7, the exposure event was Jan 5-7.
• Were NONE of the cases from the same household?

If you answered yes to all of the above questions:  

• Any unvaccinated or under-vaccinated students and staff in those classrooms, not just close contacts, will need to quarantine for the full 10 days with no option to return early. 
• Only staff or students who are up to date on their vaccinations do NOT have to quarantine.