TYLER, Texas — Under the latest Texas Education Agency COVID-19-related guidelines, local health authorities must be notified if an individual in a public school tests positive for the virus.
According to newly released TEA guidance on Friday, school systems are not required to conduct COVID-19 case investigations but local health entities can investigate and be a part of those efforts.
Individuals can voluntary participate or choose not to when it comes to COVID-19 close contact investigations. If a student is in close contact with the virus, the school officials must notify the student's parents, the TEA guidance states.
The TEA said school systems must exclude staff and students from attending school in person if they are actively sick with COVID-19, are suspected of being actively sick with COVID-19 or have tested positive for COVID-19.
Parents must ensure that they do not send a child to school if their child has COVID-19 symptoms or has tested positive, the guidance reads.
Mask-wearing remains optional for both students and staff. School officials must allow individuals to wear a mask if they choose to do so.
Schools can choose to require students in close contact to a positive case to stay home, which specifically applies to people who live in the same household as a person with COVID-19.
Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advice, the recommended stay-at-home period for those in close contact to the virus has been changed from 14 days to 10 days for students not experiencing symptoms.
Students can end the stay-at-home period if they have a negative PCR test result after the close contact exposure ends.
During the stay-at-home period, the school system can give remote instruction.
Staff who are 18 or older and have received all recommended vaccine doses or were confirmed to be COVID-19 positive within the last 90 days and have fully recovered do not need to stay at home if they've been in close contact with the virus, according to the TEA.