Manteca Unified is trying to work toward having COVID-19 testing available on campuses.

That’s due to the current California Department of Public Health protocols regarding student health precautions for in-person learning requires testing under certain conditions if students are identified as a close contact with someone with COVID.

And whether on-campus testing happens depends on the school district being able to clear a number of hurdles including an acute shortage of people qualified to administer COVID tests. Should such free testing be made available at school sites it would also require parental involvement.

Such an endeavor, if it occurs, would be funded from $49.7 million in federal COVID funds Manteca Unified has received.

If testing is required due to a close contact with another person that has been diagnosed with COVID, Manteca Unified now refers them to testing sites, many which are free.

“First and foremost the district is doing everything to make in-person learning safe,” Manteca Unified Community Outreach Coordinator Victoria Brunn stressed.

That commitment reflects the fact in-person learning is significantly more effective.

Ripon Unified has been working with Valencia Labs that provides testing at various locations at no cost to staff and students.

If students under the protocols that apply to their situation in terms of close contacts are unable to obtain twice a week testing they are ineligible to attend in-person instruction and must quarantine at home.

A series of different scenarios involving those that have been in close proximity at school with someone who has tested positive for COVID — vaccinated students, unvaccinated students, those with symptoms and those with no symptoms — has created some confusion among Manteca Unified and Ripon Unified parents.

Brunn noted the multi-faceted scenarios in place differ substantially from what was mandated during the last school year and as a result may have caused confusion.

“Keep in mind we are dealing with a different situation (than last school year),” Brunn said.

Brunn characterized the state guidance that in reality is a mandate as being a bit “murky” in some instances.

Both Ripon and Manteca districts — in following state mandated — require students that test positive to stay home.

They each also require staff and students to self-screen in the morning to determine if it is OK for them to go to a physical school campus.

Due to the return to in-person learning and new guidelines there are different paths than last year when it comes to close contacts.

Close contacts are individuals who have been exposed within six feet indoors for more than 15 minutes over a 24-hour period to someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 14 days.

In the case of Manteca Unified, they are identified either through the district’s contract tracing process or if they indicate on their daily-self screening survey that that had close contact.

Close contacts that

have symptoms

 Students who begin to show COVID-19 symptoms, despite vaccination status, will stay home to isolate and are encouraged to get tested for the virus.

They are allowed to return to school when symptoms have improved and at least 24 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever reducing medications. They also must have a negative test result, a healthcare provider has provided documentation that symptoms are not contagious, or it’s been 10 days since symptoms onset.  

Unless identified as a close contact, a student must complete the full 10-day quarantine at home

Close contacts that

have no symptoms

Students who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine if exposed to COVID-19 if asymptomatic (meaning no symptoms are present).

An unvaccinated student who has been exposed to COVID-19 may continue to attend in-person instruction for an at-school 10-day quarantine if and only if the student:

*is asymptomatic

*continues to wear a mask as require

* undergoes twice weekly COVID-19 testing during their 10-day quarantine

*continues to quarantine for all extracurricular activities

Unvaccinated students who have been exposed to COVID-19 and do not meet the above criteria must remain home for the duration of their 10-day quarantine.

At-school quarantines are only available to those asymptomatic students who were masked indoors to were outdoors (masked or unmasked) during the time of exposure.

When COVID quarantines end

for students without symptoms

Quarantine can end for asymptomatic students in at-home or in-school quarantine:
*on Day 10 from the date of last exposure without testing

*if the student continues to self-monitor for symptoms daily through Day 14 from last known exposure

*if the student follows all required mitigation measures in place (wearing a mask, handwashing, avoiding crowds) through Day 14 from last known exposure.

At-home quarantine can end after Day 7 if a diagnostic specimen is collected after Day 5 from the date of last exposure and tests negative, if the student continues to self monitor for symptoms daily through Day 14 from last known exposure and follows all required mitigation measures in place (wearing a mask, handwashing, avoiding crowds) through Day 14 from last known exposure.  

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com