Jan. 7, 2022
Dear Superintendents and School Leaders,

I am writing with several updates since my last message.

COVID-19 Decision Tree Updated Again
The guidance landscape continues to shift as the state and county work to adapt their guidance to the winter surge of COVID-19. As a result, we have updated the COVID-19 Decision Trees for K-12 Schools to address the changes listed below.

Change to the Quarantine “Booster” Rule
Last night, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released an update to its guidance on isolation and quarantine that allows almost all employee close contacts to remain at work.
  • Employees who are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations (they’ve received their primary series and booster if eligible) may remain at work but must wear a mask that fits snugly over their nose and mouth indoors, and when within 6 feet of others outside, through Day 10. Testing is also recommended (but not required) on Day 5.
  • Employees who are not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations (unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, booster eligible and not boosted) may remain at work but must provide evidence of a negative test result from a diagnostic sample collected on Day 3, 4, or 5. They must also wear a mask that fits snugly over their nose and mouth indoors, and when within 6 feet of others outside, through Day 10.
  • An employee who is unable or unwilling to wear a mask or to test as required must quarantine at home and may return to work on Day 11.

Temporary Authorization to Use Home Test Results
The K-12 Schools Guidance 2021-2022 Questions & Answers (Nov. 15) does not allow use of at-home testing for decision making unless it is part of a CPDH pilot program; however, the state's guidance on isolation and quarantine for COVID-19 contact tracing (Dec. 30) states that home tests are acceptable for starting or ending isolation and quarantine. Given the current limited availability of COVID-19 testing and the increased demand, the County of San Diego is temporarily allowing (through Jan. 27) home testing to be used in schools for any purpose described as acceptable by CDPH to help address the gap in testing availability.

Schools should use one or more means described in the “What Are Best Practices for Verification of Self-Test Results?” section of the state's over-the-counter tests guidance to verify the results of tests administered at home.

When Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Confirmation is Required
Positive antigen test results, including positive at-home test results, do not require confirmation with a PCR or other nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT).
  • The decision tree for asymptomatic positive individuals has been updated, removing PCR confirmation as a means of verifying a positive antigen test result from a person who does not have symptoms. 
  • For people with symptoms, a negative antigen result requires confirmation with PCR or other NAAT to end isolation. If evidence of a negative confirmation test is not provided, isolation must be continued for a minimum of five days with return possible on Days 6 to 10 with evidence of a negative test result (antigen, PCR, or other NAAT) provided before return from a sample collected on Day 5 to 10, or on Day 11 without a test.

COVID-19 Decision Trees FAQ Updated
The Decision Trees frequently asked questions have been updated to address the many changes in guidance that have occurred in the last eight days. For your convenience, the FAQ can be viewed on the Decision Trees webpage or downloaded as a PDF.

Updated Template Letters to Come
Given all the changes in guidance, the San Diego County Office of Education Communications team is updating its template letters in English and Spanish regarding close contacts and quarantine options. The team is also crafting letters covering isolation and the use of at-home test kits.

We will email you when the documents are posted to the Parent and Employee Communication Materials section of this webpage.

Cal/OSHA Updates Emergency Temporary Standards FAQ
Cal/OSHA has updated its Emergency Temporary Standards frequently asked questions to address alignment with the state’s updated isolation and quarantine guidance. They have also posted fact sheets, a model written program, and other resources on this webpage.

Expanded Booster Shot Eligibility
Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed boosters of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for children aged 12 and older. As a reminder, the SDCOE Communications team has updated its template letter that addresses this topic.

Thank you for all that you do. As always, please reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Paul

Dr. Paul Gothold
San Diego County Superintendent of Schools
phone: 858-295-6641