By KYLE BLOYD
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
The Indiana Department of Health is easing guidelines on schools next week.
Beginning next Wednesday, several changes go in effect:
- Schools will not have to conduct contact tracing.
- Schools will not have to report positive cases to IDOH.
- Schools will not have to quarantine students who are exposed to a positive COVID-19 case.
- Individuals who test positive can return after five days of isolation “if they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication so long as symptoms are improving.”
“These changes reflect the rapid decline in COVID-19 cases as we emerge from the omicron surge and the fact that all school-age children have been eligible to be vaccinated since November,” State Health Commissioner Kris Box said in a statement. “While they do not remove the need for continued vigilance, they will ease the reporting burden on schools and help ensure that children can stay in school.”
Several other announcements were made Thursday:
- Testing and vaccinations near Indianapolis Motor Speedway will end Feb. 26.
- Testing and vaccination “strike teams” across the state are being suspended.
- Support from the Indiana National Guard at hospitals and long-term care facilities will end March 14.