
Revised Guidance
For students and staff members
Dear District 41 Community,
Please read this document all the way through as there is important information enclosed.
We are writing to share that the isolation and quarantine period for students and staff members sick with COVID-19 or considered a close contact has been reduced to five days, if they are symptom free.
The Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois State Board of Education and the DuPage County Health Department announced that the agencies have adopted CDC guidance for P-12 schools that halves the isolation and quarantine period. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated its guidance for P-12 schools on January 6.
As a result, effective on Tuesday, January 11, District 41 will implement the updated guidance. If you have been in isolation or quarantine and it has been more than 5 days AND you are symptom free, you may return to school as indicated below. This announcement does not change the State of Illinois mask requirement for anyone inside school buildings. The Governor’s indoor mask mandate for school is still in effect until further notice.
Staff and students who are currently impacted by isolation or quarantine now have a revised return to school date. Please see the chart below to know when to send your child back to school.
I realize that COVID-19 test turnaround time can be lengthy. Please work with your school nurse to determine return dates if you develop COVID-19 symptoms, have been tested, and are awaiting a pending COVID-19 result that extends past day 5 of your isolation.
In addition, I want to pass along information from IDPH and CDC related to quarantine and recommended isolation periods. Below is summary information.
What is quarantine?
Quarantine means staying home for at least 5 days after the last date of close contact exposure to someone diagnosed with COVID-19. This is because someone can be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 but may not show symptoms. Even though someone may not show symptoms, they can still spread the virus.
Quarantine is different from isolation. Isolation is used by someone who has symptoms of COVID-19, or tests positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, even if they don’t have symptoms. Isolation helps prevent transmission of the virus by separating people infected with the virus from those who are not infected.
How does this new quarantine guidance impact staff and students if they test positive for COVID-19?
How does the new quarantine guidance impact staff and students who are considered close contacts to someone who tested positive with COVID-19?
Thank you for your continued flexibility and support of our students and teachers.
*Please note that we anticipate additional information will be released by IDPH. We will continue to share information with our families as it becomes available.
Dr. Melissa Kaczkowski
Superintendent, Glen Ellyn School District 41
Glen Ellyn School District 41
Email: webmaster@d41.org
Website: www.d41.org
Location: 793 North Main Street, Glen Ellyn, IL, USA
Phone: 630.790.6400
Facebook: facebook.com/glenellynd41
Twitter: @glenellynd41