Arrowhead High School has modified their close contact quarantine rules. Students no longer need to spend ten days in quarantine if close-contacted with someone with Covid-19. 

A student who has been in contact with someone with Coronavirus will not need to quarantine, yet they still need to monitor themselves and any symptoms they may exhibit.

However, because of this rule, it does not mean students and families can’t quarantine if close-contacted. If a student has been notified they have been in proximity with someone with Covid-19, although Arrowhead rules state they do not need to quarantine, the student can decide to still take the ten days to attend virtual school. 

The change was made based upon the advice of Waukesha County Public Health Department.

Arrowhead superintendent Laura Myrah sent out an email blast to the entire school and parents of students stating, “Throughout this year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Arrowhead High School has followed the guidance of the Waukesha County Public Health Department. That local health department has announced a change in their guidance related to close contact quarantines, which Arrowhead will implement immediately. Arrowhead will not require a 10-day quarantine of students and staff for being identified as a close contact, at school and during school activities, to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, unless this guidance and/or disease-related conditions change in the future.”

The health department has allowed the close-contact quarantine to be lifted based on lowered local numbers of the virus and schools maintaining their social distancing, and mask-wearing rules already in place.

Myrah says, “Though no longer a requirement, students/families and staff members identified as close contacts may choose to self-quarantine for the 10-day period. Per the local health department, if students or staff members are deemed a close contact from COVID-19 exposure outside of the school environment, they must still quarantine for 10-days to prevent illness transmission to others, unless they are fully vaccinated.”