PERRYSBURG, Ohio — New guidance from the Ohio Department of Health changes when kindergarten to sixth graders need to quarantine from exposure to COVID-19.
Perrysburg Schools is adopting the new rules, which superintendent Tom Hosler believes will help keep more students in the classroom.
"We don't want to put one more student into quarantine than we have to," said Hosler.
Hosler says it's been a learning curve this school year, balancing safety with learning. New social distancing guidelines from the state were issued based on research done by the Ohio Schools COVID-19 Evaluation Team. It will apply to those from kindergarten to sixth grade who are wearing masks.
"If an exposure takes place, you don't have to measure from six feet out, you measure from three feet out," said Hosler. "So that reduces the radius and certainly the impact of having to quarantine in that setting."
The new guidance, based on research from the American Academy of Pediatrics, does not apply to middle and high schoolers. They will still need to be quarantined if exposed within six feet of a positive person for more than 15 minutes.
"The governor saying if you're in a classroom with a mask on, you don't have to quarantine," said Hosler. "That's not what the department of health is telling the 88 counties to do."
Instead, he says that is only for districts that treat students as essential workers meaning they need to be kept six feet apart at all times of the day and at home.
"It is nearly impossible to guarantee that that student is able to stay six feet apart," said Hosler. "And if they are, it's going to happen that that student is going to feel isolated the entire day."
To date, Perrysburg has had around 176 positive COVID-19 cases and quarantined around 2000 students and staff. But Hosler says community spread is beginning to drop and they're optimistic for the rest of the year.
"Our goal is to get students back as much as we can," he said, "and with the vaccine and our staff lining up for those, hopefully in the next month, that is going to open up more opportunity for us to get students back in more regularly."
