Masks not required for El Paso County schools

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- El Paso County Public Health released COVID-19 guidance for schools and child care facilities Wednesday morning.

The El Paso County Public Health COVID-19 School and Child Care Guidance, which was sent out to schools Wednesday, includes information on contact tracing, general isolation, quarantine guidelines, and mask requirements.

While the CDC recommends universal masking for teachers, staff, and students in schools K-12, EPCPH is not requiring masks in schools or child care facilities.

However, EPCPH did say schools are allowed to make their own mask mandates.

Schools and child care facilities can either choose to continue or end contact tracing.

Districts and facilities are asked to create a "COVID coordinator," who will be the point of contact in the event of an exposure.

When EPCPH is notified of a confirmed positive case:

• EPCPH will notify the COVID coordinator, child care director, or best point of contact via email or phone call
• If EPCPH is completing the contact tracing, the school will be asked to provide:
  • General notification to parents and staff that a case was present and that EPCPH will reach out to them individually if they are considered a close contact to recommend isolation or quarantine
  • A list of individuals who are considered close contacts, within three feet of the case in a typical classrom setting for greater than 15 minutes, cumulative over 24 hours within the facility
• EPCPH will complete the contact tracing and quaratine notification

Schools and child care facilities are required to report positive cases. According to EPCPH, outbreaks are defined as five or more confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases in non-household members within a 14-day window. At least one case must have a positive molecular amplification test or a positive antigen test from a respiratory specimen.

Positive COVID-19 cases in schools need to isolate until all three of these criteria have been met:

• 10 days have passed from the sympton onset date, or date of positive test if asymtomatic or sympton onset date is unknown
• Fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine
• Improvement in symptoms

For exposed individuals, EPCPH recommends:

• Quaranitne, starting from the last day of exposure to the confirmed, probable, or suspect case, unless they are full vaccinated.
  • Check CDPHE's updated quarantine guidance for more information

EPCPH also touched on modified quarantine, which allows employees who remain asymptomatic following an exposure to continue to work for their quarantine period while following standard quarantine rules outside the workplace.

Modified quarantine requires:

• The person to wear a mask while in the facility
• Utilize personal protective equipment (PPE) with each patient
• Self-monitor both at home and at work
• Practice physical distancing, at least six feet, refrain from public outings, as well as stay within the cohort of exposure through the entire quarantine period

If the exposed employee becomes symptomatic during the quarantine period, that person must not work and immediately notify their employer. They will then be placed in isolation for 10 days. If any contacts are identified from the ill employee, they will need to complete a full quarantine period from the last day of exposure.

With the possibility of closure, EPCPH said there "is no formula for when a facility may need to consider a temporary pivot to e-learning."

In the guidance, EPCPH said "the (COVID) vaccine is the strongest tool we have in the prevention of COVID-19. EPCPH encourages vaccination for all of those who are eligible to receive it."

EPCPH encourages frequent and thorough hand washing, enhanced cleaning, utilizing outdoor or open spaces as much as possible, and cohort-style learning. However, EPCPH said there is no current definitive national or state guideline regarding maximum class size or teacher-to-student ratio.

For more information on the recommendations, read the El Paso County Public Health COVID-19 School and Child Care here.