Covid-19 Protocols
Detailed Guidance on TK-12 Exposure Management Protocols
A. Isolation Protocol for Positive Individuals According to state law , all individuals who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate, at home, for 5 days. “Day 0” represents the date that the positive test was taken, or when symptoms began. “Day 1” represents the day after the positive test was taken or symptoms began.
1. Site Administrators or designee shall: provide COVID-19 positive employees and families of COVID-19 positive students with information about isolation protocols.
a. Asymptomatic individuals who test positive begin their isolation period with the date of their positive test as Day 0. On Day 6 they may return.
b. Symptomatic individuals who test positive begin their isolation period with their symptom onset date as Day 0. They may end their isolation on Day 6-10 without taking a rapid antigen test provided any symptoms are improving and they are fever-free for the past 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. On Day 11 they can return if they have not had a fever in the past 24 hours.
c. Individuals who are released from isolation day 6-10 must continue to wear a highly protective mask at all times indoors and around others outdoors, through Day 10. Students may unmask between day 6-10 if they have two sequential negative tests taken at least a day apart and were uploaded and approved in Daily Pass.
d. Individuals are recommended to test with a rapid antigen test before returning to school/work; an antigen test should be used since PCR tests may continue to read positive for COVID-19 even after an individual is no longer infectious.
e. Individuals who have left isolation and experience worsening of their COVID-19 symptoms need to retest using a rapid antigen test. If they test positive, they should re-start isolation at day 0.
2. Positive individuals must upload their COVID-19 test result to Daily Pass.
a. If a home antigen test is used, the test result should be uploaded to Daily Pass within three (3) days of the test. It must include the following information in a high-resolution photo image:
i. The individual’s full legal name
ii. The individual’s date of birth
iii. Test date
iv. Test result (“Positive/Negative”)
v. Test Strip showing result
b. Student Testing to end masking between day 6-10 should be done with an antigen test since a PCR test may show as positive even if the individual is no longer infectious.
B. Identifying Close Contacts for All School Settings and Worksites After confirming a positive case, Site Administrators must use individual exposure management to identify all employee close contacts.
1. Site Administrators or their designee shall:
a. Conduct individual exposure management and submit an IEM Report to create Close Contact cases for the following individuals. (See Attachment D1: IEM Reporter App Job Aid - Close Contacts)
i. Individual employees who were exposed to a positive case while at work (as required by Cal/OSHA Non-Emergency Regulations).
ii. It is strongly recommended to submit an IEM Report for students exposed to a positive case while at school. Those who are identified as a close contact in the IEM Report will receive an automated notification with information about symptom monitoring protocols.
C. Protocols for Asymptomatic Close Contacts Individuals identified as a close contact, regardless of vaccination status, can remain at school or work following exposure to a positive case so long as they monitor for symptoms and remain asymptomatic. It is recommended that they wear a highly protective mask at all times, while indoors at school/work for 10 days, and to test within 3-5 days after the last date of exposure.
1. For all close contacts, Site Administrators or their designee shall:
a. Require close contacts to monitor for symptoms.
i. If an individual develops COVID-19 symptoms, they should remain at home and test immediately. If the antigen test is negative, it is recommended that they continue isolation and test again two days after the first negative test, since an antigen test may not detect COVID-19 early in the infection. If the individual has been fever-free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medications and has improved symptoms, they can return.
ii. Individuals may test using an LAUSD-provided rapid antigen test or other FDA-approved at-home antigen test or by getting a PCR test with an external healthcare provider. If they test positive, they must follow Isolation Protocols.
iii. Asymptomatic individuals are recommended to test within 3-5 days after the last date of exposure.
iv. School sites or worksites must provide close contact students and employees with one (1) rapid antigen test.
v. Close contacts should be provided with a rapid antigen test kit and directions recommending they take a test at home between Day 3-5 after exposure and upload results to Daily Pass.
vi. While testing is not required, it is recommended that asymptomatic close contacts who recovered from recent COVID-19 infection more than 30 days prior (i.e., date of first positive test was 31-90 days ago) test 3-5 days after the last date of exposure. An antigen test, which includes athome tests, should be used. If the previous infection was within the past 30 days (i.e., first positive test was 1-30 days ago), testing is not recommended, unless symptoms develop. vii. Refer to Instructions for Close Contacts for COVID-19 (ph.lacounty.gov/covidcontacts) for details.
b. Recommend all student and employee close contacts to wear a highly protective mask at all times indoors at school or work,
D. Recommended Indoor Masking for Employees and Students Subject to changes from LACDPH and the Health Officer Order, indoor masking is recommended for employees, students, and visitors at Los Angeles Unified elementary, secondary, and adult school campuses and in all non-school locations (including school buses and vans), with some exceptions noted below. Children under 2 years of age should not wear masks.
1. In the following scenarios/settings, individuals are required to wear a highly protective mask:
a. Early Release from Isolation: Individuals who have tested positive and are ending isolation early after Day 5, are required to wear a highly protective mask at all times in the workplace around others indoors, except when eating or drinking. Students may remove their mask Day 6-10 if they have two sequential negative tests taken at least a day apart uploaded and approved in Daily Pass.
b. Outbreak Settings: Students and employees are required to wear a highly protective mask at all times in a LACDPH-designated outbreak setting (e.g. individuals who are part of the specific classroom or group involved in the outbreak must wear masks).
c. Healthcare Settings: Masks are required for healthcare employees working with patients in an indoor healthcare setting, such as the Nurse’s office, Vaccination Clinics, Wellness Clinics, etc. Masks are recommended in the school nurse offices since these areas provide direct patient care. If a student is symptomatic, the student should be given a mask and appropriate PPE should be worn by the school nurse.
2. Site Administrators/supervisors or their designee shall:
a. Require that individuals returning from isolation Day 6-10 wear a highly protective mask at all times while at school for 10 days following the date of their positive test or symptom onset date. Students may remove their mask between Day 6-10 if they have two sequential negative tests taken at least a day apart.
b. Make disposable masks available to all students, employees, and campus visitors in need of one at the entry of their campus. The District will continue to make masks available to all students and employees who need one, upon request. The District will continue to consistently monitor COVID-19 transmission rates within schools and workplaces; any necessary or appropriate changes to the masking policy will be communicated.
Where can I pick up an at-home rapid self test?
Rapid antigen tests are available at all schools and worksites.
What happens if an employee or student tests positive on the at-home rapid self-test?
If you receive a positive result on an at-home test, please upload a photo of the test result as soon as possible onto the Daily Pass with your full legal name, date of birth and test date, handwritten on the test or a separate piece of paper next to the test. The Community Engagement team will review this test and approve or deny it within 24-48 hours. Positive individuals should follow isolation protocols: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/docs/HomeisolationenCoV.pdf
