Family Resources

COVID Guidelines

Following CCSD guidelines, below is the protocol for COVID-19 exposure or positive test:

Return to school for students and staff

The following was taken from DHEC guidance published on December 31, 2021.

Criteria for return to school or work after COVID positive:

After testing positive for COVID, the criteria for return is:  

• Quarantine for at least 5 days since symptoms started

• Masks must be worn days 5-10 days

• Asymptomatic students or staff with a positive viral test are required to be excluded from school until 5 days after specimen collection.

• Documentation for Return: at least 5 days after the start of symptoms and parent’s note that symptoms have improved and there has been no fever in the past 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication

Criteria for return to school or work after being identified as a Close Contact:

There are three options for the quarantine period that schools may choose to apply as long as all conditions listed below are met.

1. Quarantine can end after Day 10 without testing and if no symptoms were reported during daily symptom monitoring.

2. Quarantine can end after Day 7 if a viral test is negative AND if no symptoms were reported during daily symptom monitoring.

   1. The viral test must be collected no sooner than Day 5, but quarantine cannot be discontinued earlier than completion of Day 7.

   2. Viral tests include those collected by a swab of the nose or throat (PCR or antigen tests). Blood tests for antibodies may not be used to shorten quarantine.

   3. A mask must be worn through day 10.

3. Quarantine can end after Day 5 if a viral test is negative AND if no symptoms were reported during daily symptom monitoring.

1. The viral test must be collected no sooner than Day 4, and quarantine cannot be discontinued earlier than completion of Day 5.

2. A mask must be worn through day 10.

 If a close contact has received all of the vaccine doses they're eligible for (completed initial vaccination series and booster for those eligible by age and time since initial series- see CDC website for most up-to-date information on booster eligibility) or are verified (positive PCR or antigen test, not antibody test) to have been infected with COVID-19 in the previous 90 days, they do not have to quarantine for any length of time. DHEC recommends they get tested on Day 5 even if they do not have symptoms, and they must wear a mask for 10 days.

Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine  

CCSD Nursing Services is responsible for contact tracing associated with positive COVID-19 cases. Protocols are in place for prompt notification of individuals and parents after determination of close contacts. Symptomatic persons may be tested with parental consent at the school and are isolated in a dedicated space until they can leave school. The follow-up isolation and quarantine periods are enforced consistently in alignment with DHEC recommendations. Persons who are fully vaccinated are not required to quarantine if they remain asymptomatic and provide proof of COVID vaccination. In addition to the prompt notification of close contacts, parents of other students in the room are also notified that a positive case was identified in their child’s classroom (without information that would identify the positive person). The entire classroom will be quarantined if there are three or more positive cases within a 14-day period.

Close Contact Guidance:

Close contact is defined as having direct contact with a confirmed positive case within 3 feet or less for 15 minutes or more for students K-12, and within 6 feet or less for 15 minutes or more for adults over a 24 hour period.

The following will apply to close contact and quarantine determinations:

• A close contact student must be wearing a mask within 3-6 feet of a positive student to avoid quarantine.

• If both of the involved students were not wearing a mask then they must be at least 6 feet apart to avoid quarantine

• Adults (teachers and staff) must be at least 6 feet apart to avoid quarantine (mask or no

• If the teacher is positive then all distances must be 6 feet or more to avoid quarantine (mask or no mask).

• A positive antibody test does not release a close contact from quarantine per DHEC.

Diagnostic and screening testing  

CCSD offers COVID-19 testing at school for symptomatic students and staff. Binax Now Rapid Antigen Testing (nasal swab with results in 15 minutes) is offered with no out-of-pocket expense. CCSD also offers both rapid and PCR testing for staff and students through a DHEC third party vendor. Testing details including dates, times and locations can be found at:  https://www.ccsdschools.com/domain/4116

PCR testing for students and chaperones is required for 72 hours in advance of all overnight school trips. Those fully vaccinated with proof and those who have been COVID-19 positive within 90 days are exempt. Positive antibody tests are not accepted for field trip clearance.