Henrico Schools officials adjust COVID-19 quarantine rules

Any staff members or students over 18 years old in Henrico County Public Schools who have completed their primary vaccination series more than six months ago but have not received their booster shots now will be required to quarantine if they are identified as close contacts of people who are COVID-positive.

This new rule is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and will become effective Friday.

Children under 18 still do not need to quarantine if they have received their primary doses of the vaccine; booster shots are not a requirement at this time based on CDC guidance. Anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 less than 90 days ago and who completed a 10-day isolation period does not need to quarantine if they were exposed to the virus.

The news was announced by HCPS Chief of Staff Beth Teigen at the Henrico School Board work session on Thursday afternoon.

Another change to HCPS quarantine guidance is a shortened quarantine period for unvaccinated people exposed to the virus.

Previously, unvaccinated people who were considered a close contact couldn’t return to school until eight days after exposure, if they were asymptomatic, tested negative and were fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. Now, the rule has changed to five days after exposure with the same stipulations.

More school vaccine clinics to come

HCPS is planning several vaccination clinics that should aid in administering booster shots to students as well as primary doses.

Due to the success of the in-school COVID-19 vaccination clinics that were piloted at four Title 1 elementary schools last month, HCPS is planning 16 more. With the additional clinics, all students at Title 1 elementary schools in Henrico will have the opportunity to be vaccinated against COVID-19 during the school day.

Parents are not required to be present, but they must give permission through a consent form, which is available in various languages. The Pfizer vaccines will be administered by the Virginia Department of Health or one of its partner pharmacies.

The clinics, which are being hosted by HCPS in partnership with the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts, will be hosted in late January or early February. The additional elementary school sites are Adams, Ashe, Baker, Chamberlayne, Donahoe, Fair Oaks, Harvie, Highland Springs, Holladay, Johnson, Lakeside, Longdale, Montrose, Ratcliffe. Sandston and Ward.

More weekend pediatric vaccination events are also in the works, following the success at middle school sites last month. Through those clinics, more than  385 primary doses were administered to HCPS students, and 144 booster shots were administered to their family members, according to Teigen. 

Students 12 to 17 years old should receive the Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot at least 5 months after completing their Pfizer COVID-19 primary series. Booster shots are not recommended for children younger than 12 years old at this time.

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Anna Bryson is the Henrico Citizen's education reporter and a Report for America corps member. Make a tax-deductible donation to support her work, and RFA will match it dollar for dollar.