During the last schoolyear in Flagler every time a student or teacher was determined to be a “close contact” with someone who came down with Covid had to quarantine for 10 days. With school set to reopen Tuesday, the Flagler County Health Department and Flagler County schools had reached an arrangement that would have avoided that for students and staffers exposed to Covid, but showing no symptoms, thanks to a rapid-test regimen. As long as the test showed the close contacts to be negative, they could keep attending or teaching school.
That approach was upended Friday when the State Department of Health issued an emergency rule. The rule is intended to address masking in school. It gives parents or guardians the authority to “opt out” their child from wearing masks, if they choose. But the rule went further, setting out minimum quarantining requirements whether or not rapid testing is used locally.
While a complete prevention of quarantining will not be possible, the emergency rule still makes room for a quicker return to school after quarantining than was the case last year. And it makes clear yet another advantage for the vaccinated: for those who have been determined to have had close contacts with a covid patient but show no symptoms, and are vaccinated, no quarantining applies.
Bob Snyder, who heads the Flagler County Health Department, studied the new rule and has been in consultation with his staff and the school district. This morning, he set out the updated protocols in accordance with that new rule.
The rule does change the way people who test positive for Covid must quarantine. Those who do, whether they are vaccinated or not, must still quarantine for 10 days (down from 14 in the earlier part of the pandemic). An individual may go back to normal activities and contacts “if 10 days have passed since your first symptoms appeared and you are 24-hour free of fever, without taking fever-reduction medication. So that hasn’t changed,” Snyder said.
“What has changed now is if you are a bit exposed, you’re considered to be a close contact, in the presence of a confirmed case for 15 minutes or more where social distancing could not be practiced. That is where you are a close contact. And so for the asymptomatic close contact, now what happens is you are–per the rule–to quarantine for four days. And if you’re still asymptomatic, by day seven, and you’ve tested negative for Covid, you can return to school, return to teach, return to your work within the school district.”
The department’s rapid-testing can cut that down to four days instead of seven, for public school students and employees: On Day 4, close contacts may go to oen of the Health Department’s two testing locations, get a rapid test, and if it’s negative, they may then return to school without waiting until Day 7, as long as they agree to also return on Day 6 for another test. That’s as long as an individual shows no symptoms of illness.
The two testing locations are at 120 Airport Road (on the second floor of the three-story building across from Flagler Palm Coast High School) or at 301 Dr. Carter Boulevard in Bunnell, between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. weeknights.
In sum, Snyder said, if you’re unvaccinated, “you’ve got to quarantine regardless if you’re a close contact and you’re asymptomatic for at least four days, but you can return to school Day 5 and 6 and seven thereafter, if you continue to have a negative diagnostic test, which in our case here is the Abbott rapid test that we will perform.” The vaccinated and asymptomatic get an automatic return-to-school card, no quarantining necessary.
One other key change in the rule that is beneficial to some: those who have tested positive for Covid in the previous 90 days and have recovered are considered as good as vaccinated. Even if they are deemed close contacts within that 90-day period, they can skip the quarantine period as long as they show no symptoms of a recurrence.
“You’re vaccinated, or if you tested positive within that 90 day period,” Snyder said, “the assumption is is that you are immune because you were a case. And then of course the vaccination provides extra protection for individuals. So, you’re good to go.”
But for a person to be considered vaccinated, both shots of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine would have had to be administered. If the person only got one shot, the quarantining regimen still kicks in.
The emergency rule’s protocols will be in effect in Flagler County schools regarding teachers, students and staff–not just students.
The two testing locations begin operating on Tuesday. They are open to all residents, not just to students and staffers from Flagler schools. The free rapid testing will be available to anyone, and PCR testing will be conducted for those who request it, though it takes about two days for those results to return. Parents, guardians and family members of school students or staffers may participate or seek tests the same way–and apply the same less restrictive quarantining regimen to themselves.
“We’re not going to turn anyone away who, and if we have to extend hours to meet demand, we will,” Snyder said.
The same approach will apply to the county’s seven private schools and the charter school (Imagine at Town Center). Those eight schools each have a rapid testing stating on campus. The set-up also allows students and staffers who may be deemed close contacts to–four days past the required quarantining–be tested every other day, and stay in school as long as the tests are negative. The Health Department offered that same approach to the school district and its nine traditional public schools, but the district declined.
The Health Department has devised the following quick-reference scenarios for what to do in case of exposure, and what kind of test to get:
Scenario 1: A positive rapid test with a person having symptoms does not require a PCR test. The person must immediately quarantine for up to 10 days, until symptoms disappear.
Scenario 2: A symptomatic person with a negative rapid test requires to have the rapid test confirmed by a PCR test.
Scenario 3: An asymptomatic person with a negative rapid test: No confirmation needed. The person has the green light to return to school.
Scenario 4: Asymptomatic person with a positive rapid test should get confirmation with a PCR test, and quarantine meanwhile.
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Shelly says
Quarantine should apply for both vaccinated as well as unvaccinated, because vaccinated people can be asymptomatic and pass it on to an unvaccinated or vaccinated person just like what happened at my job. A fully vaccinated person came in contact with another fully vaccinated person, didn’t have symptoms and passed ot on to their significant other who was also fully vaccinated. Stop with the segregation already!
Local says
Let me get this straight….
Vaccinated kids that can carry and spread the Corona virus can freely deliver the virus to other Vaccinated and unvaccinated people, but un vaccinated kids will be punished and taken out of school because they haven’t been vaccinated?!
Karen Curry says
Yes, so what’s your point? EVERYONE CAN POTENTIALLY PASS COVID TO SOMEONE ELSE! NO ONE HAS THE “RIGHT” TO ENDANGER ANY ONE ELSE’S HEALTH!
1- PUT THE MASK ON (IT HAS TO COVER BOTH MOUTH & NOSE) NO ONE WANTS TO SUCK UP ANY COOTIES SPRAYED FROM SOMEONE’S MOUTH OR NOSE!
2- GET THE VACCINE
OR STAY THE FECK HOME!
What Else Is New says
Indeed an outrage. Mr. DeathSantis is rapidly causing deaths among the very children he wishes to be seated at a desk in school, preferably a charter school since he and the Florida Legislature wish public schools would disappear. Mr. DeathSantis takes a page from his daddy Trump’s book by exhibiting child-like impudence. Merely shout, demand, pout and distract and get your name in the media no matter the content. The Flagler County School Board should follow Alachua and Broward Counties and mandate masks. No such luck as they lack a backbone just as we have seen with the Flagler County Commission. Our County and State is in trouble.
Fredrick says
And How many child deaths has he “rapidly caused”. FlaglerLive could you fact check this and report please?
Nationwide 416 children ages 0 to 18 have died from Covid-19, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. How many of those had something else going on???? While no children or anyone should die, would you stop the fear mongering and lies….
FlaglerLive says
“One thing I just want to note with the children is I think we fall into this flawed thinking of saying that only 400 of these 600,000 deaths from Covid-19 have been in children,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said. “Children are not supposed to die. And so 400 is a huge amount for respiratory season.”
Eizee says
You might feel differently if one of this 416 children were your own. If it could have been prevented with the simple act of donning a piece of cloth to protect others as well as yourself, how would you feel? My mother died because someone didn’t feel a mask was necessary even though sick. I will never forgive them, nor can I forgive those who knowingly put others at risk by being careless or defiant. Time to adult. Children’s hospitals are running out of beds, this mutation does put them at much higher risk. With the information we have, there is no reason for one more child’s death.
Mark says
Our County officials are spineless and refuse to stand up against our tyrant governor and mandate masks, now their salaries will be cut but that shouldn’t stop you from saving children’s lives from the death sentence this governor is imposing on our youth.
MANDATE MASKS IN FLAGLER COUNTY WITH PROOF OF VACCINATION TO ENTER ALL PUBLIC INDOOR SPACES AND OUTDOOR EVENTS LARGER THAN 100 PEOPLE
JustBeNice says
And what of parental choice? Why take away my right to decide if I want my child to wear a mask all day, five days in a row? Masks are very uncomfortable. It’s up to the parents, not the school board. I don’t want Gov. DeSantis to dictate something that is clearly a parent’s right to choose. He understands that. The more mandates we have, the more rights and privileges we lose.
Insane in the membrane says
I, as a parent, have a right to send my kids to safe school environment. This is not about rights, it’s about public safety. So you’re child’s comfort trumps another humans possible life. Get over yourself and do the right thing. The child whom sits next to your child may have a medical condition or live with someone who does and just because they have a mask on, they are at risk because your child doesn’t. This isn’t rocket science people.
W.G. says
Wow, I’m vaccinated and I don’t agree with this! Everyone should have to quarantine. Vaccinated people should be treated the same. A vaccine does not stop you from getting covid. The ONLY benefit of vaccination with the delta variant is not getting as strong of the symptoms as you may get without one (which is not always the case either). . Its easier for us to pass it around considering the vaccinated people are prone to being asymptomatic. To act like we have super powers because we got a vaccine is beyond me! They have to stop with the vaccinated versus not vaccinated. SMH
mausborn says
De Sanits seems to be challenging Ted Cruz for the position of most hated man in US politics..
White GOP men: “You can’t tell me what to do with my body!” Women across America: “What!??”
Because NOT making it a mandate allows people to contaminate everyone else. Particularly school children who are at risk since they are not vaccinated under 13 yrs. This is a world wide emergency, not a gotcha moment. Grow up! And I’ll wager DeSantis has had the vaccine!
Laura says
Sounds like a balanced approach with support for vaccination for everyone balanced with parental choice for their family. Finally a consistent message— vaccines work!
bethechange says
My parental rights stop when I endanger the health and safety of others. It’s simple and evidenced by multiple laws in our country which illustrate our citizens’ acceptance of and the desire for such measures. Anyone over the age of 21 has the right to drink to excess. And if we possess a driver’s license we have the legal right to operate a motor vehicle. Exercising these 2 rights in concert will result in consequences. Most rational people not only agree with this law, but desire it. We all have the right to experience human emotions, including anger. But if we then act on that emotion, there are consequences. We have the right to smoke. But 2nd hand smoke creates health problems in others, so our right to smoke is therefore restrained. As disturbing and horrible as this 2nd wave of covid is (and my heart breaks almost on a daily basis for the families of those, lost to covid, who did everything right), it seems to be accomplishing that which the 1st wave did not; more and more people are realizing that the scientists and health professionals were not shitting us about the certainty of more waves. Perhaps its well past time for a giant leap of faith that they are also correct about the necessity of getting in front of, staying in front of and eradicating this microscopic terrorist.