New CDC Guidelines for COVID-19 Quarantine Period

Dear Darlington Community,

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidelines for the quarantine period for those identified as close contacts to positive COVID-19 cases. Our local health department is in agreement with these changes. We have reviewed our cases, contract tracing, and protocols, and we are confident that these changes will benefit our students and faculty while keeping the community as healthy as possible. 

We remain grateful for the partnership and communication we have had with families this fall.  

The quarantine period can end:

• after Day 10 without testing and if no symptoms have been observed or
• after Day 7 with a negative PCR or Rapid Antigen test and no symptoms have been observed. The test can occur within 48 hours before the end of Day 7. The quarantine cannot end earlier than the end of Day 7. Proof of test result is required to return to school. 
• In both cases, please continue to monitor symptoms throughout the 14-day quarantine period. Please note that if additional exposure occurs during the quarantine period, the timeline should begin again. 

As always, please notify your division director if your child develops COVID-19 symptoms and/or receives a positive COVID-19 test result. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever of 100.4 or higher, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, headache, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea and/or vomiting.

Recommendations in regard to prevention remain the same. Please continue to wear your mask, wash your hands, and maintain social distance. 

Please click here to read more about the new guidelines.

Brent Bell, Head of School