This information is likely to change regularly as measures to battle the COVID-19 pandemic are updated and enhanced. Please check this page often.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) and the Anne Arundel County Department of Health (AADOH) remain in continual contact regarding issues surrounding COVID-19. The following protocols, arrived at after consultation with the AADOH in light of the latest guidance from the CDC, are in place for the 2022-2023 school year.
MASKING: Except under conditions stipulated below that relate to person returning to school or work after testing positive for COVID-19, masking remains optional for all students and staff. Staff and students should be respectful of the decision of any other person to mask or not mask. There will be absolutely no tolerance for anyone who wishes to intimidate, tease, or bully anyone else for their choice of whether to wear a mask or not.
POSITIVE TESTS: In addition to seeking appropriate medical care for anyone who tests positive, families of students who test positive for COVID-19 should notify their student’s school administration and school nurse as soon as possible. Employees who test positive must notify their supervisor as soon as possible and complete the employee self-reporting form found at www.aacps.org/covidselfreport. Anyone testing positive on an at-home rapid test should also report the result through the Maryland Department of Health self-reporting link at https://covidlink.maryland.gov/content/testing/if-you-test-positive/?#report.
ISOLATION: Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 must isolate for five days and may not attend school or work during that time. Following the isolation period, individuals may return to school or work on Day 6 (with Day 0 being the date of the positive test for someone who had no symptoms or the date of the onset of symptoms for someone who was symptomatic) under the following conditions:
- Without a mask if they have a negative test on Day 5 or later.
- With a mask if they have not taken a subsequent test but have completed the five-day isolation period.
- Without a mask after 10 days (no test is needed in this case).
In all of the above scenarios, a person returning to school or work must have improving symptoms and be fever-free without the aid of medication for at least 24 hours.
QUARANTINE: The guidance from the CDC, Maryland Department of Health, and Anne Arundel County Department of Health no longer suggests a need for individuals who are close contacts of a COVID-positive person to quarantine provided those individuals are asymptomatic.
OUTBREAKS: AACPS and the Department of Health will continue to monitor and inform families about cohort and school outbreaks of COVID-19.
A cohort outbreak is declared by the Department of Health when there are three or more test-confirmed COVID-19 cases among students/teachers/staff in a specified group with onsets (or, if asymptomatic, collection dates) within a 10-day period, and when those persons who are positive are epidemiologically linked in the school setting but not household contacts.
A school outbreak is declared by the Department of Health when there are five or more classrooms or cohorts with cases from separate households that meet the cohort outbreak definition that occurs within 10 days; or 5 percent or more of unrelated students/teachers/staff in a school have test-confirmed COVID-19 within a 10-day period (minimum of 10 unrelated students/teachers/staff).
Decisions on any impacts to the normal instructional schedule in the case of a declared outbreak will be made on case-by-case basis and will be determined by the specifics of that case. As was the case at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, among the possibilities with regard to school outbreaks are distribution of test kits and a request for optional masking as well as a shift to virtual instruction.
TESTING: AACPS is not utilizing a “vaccination or test” program for any students or employees in the 2022-23 school year. School nurses have test kits available in school health rooms for students or employees who become symptomatic at school or work.
SYMPTOMS: Symptoms of COVID-19 can range from muscle or body aches to fever, chills, and trouble breathing. Click here for a list of symptoms and more guidance from the Anne Arundel County Department of Health. Anyone experiencing symptoms of an infectious illness such as COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), gastrointestinal infections, or any other serious illness should remain home from school or work until their symptoms improve and they are fever-free without the aid of medication for at least 24 hours. They do not need a negative COVID-19 test to return to school or work. It is recommended, however, that persons with symptoms of COVID-19 be tested. If the test is negative, individuals may return when symptoms have improved, no fever for 24 hours without medication, and applicable criteria in the Communicable Diseases Summary have been met.
VACCINATIONS: AACPS and the AADOH continue to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for all eligible persons. Neither vaccinations nor boosters are required for students to attend school or employees to work in AACPS facilities. Vaccinations are readily available at most medical offices and pharmacies. For more information about AADOH-sponsored clinics, click here.
QUESTIONS? Call the Anne Arundel County Department of Health COVID-19/Monkeypox Health Line at 410-222-7256 or consult your family physician.
