FCPS: Updated Isolation Procedures For Students Effective May 1

Press release from Fairfax County Public Schools:

Dear Families,

Since the start of the pandemic, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has regularly reviewed and adjusted our health and safety guidance in alignment with recommendations from local, state and national health experts.

As a result, FCPS will be changing current isolation procedures for students who have tested positive for COVID-19. Beginning May 1, 2022, your child may return to in-person instruction and activities, including athletics, after at least five (5) days of isolation when your child has met the following criteria:

If students are unable to wear a mask when around others, they are to continue to isolate for a full 10 days at home.

Children who are in isolation will continue to have access to our StreamIn/CheckIn during this time.

The new procedure aligns with the timeline recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD). It also follows improving vaccination rates in the Fairfax Health District, as well as a continued community level of low in Fairfax County.

We continue to balance the need for students to have a high-quality in-person learning experience with student and staff safety. By adhering to our layered prevention strategies and increasing vaccination rates, we are all doing our part to keep schools safe.

Fairfax County Public Schools

This press release was produced by Fairfax County Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.