OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Health Department has released new COVID guidelines ahead of the upcoming school year.
Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah said that any student or staff member who tests positive for the virus must stay home and isolate for at least five days.
Once the isolation period wraps up, the infected person is advised but not required to wear a mask for another five days.
Schools will also be required to report outbreaks to local health officials and must have a backup plan in place, such as remote learning.
The new requirements and recommendations are similar to those most recently issued by the CDC.
Dr. Shah said that the state drew from the last two years of the pandemic to create their updated plan.