Kentucky has released new guidance for schools amid the omicron surge. The following is what it means for Covington Independent Public Schools:

-Contact tracing will no longer occur in the school setting, in most cases, while universal masking is in place.
-It is required by the state to report a positive case to the school immediately.
-The school nurse will require a copy of the positive test result to cover attendance due to quarantine.
-Positive home tests must be confirmed by a rapid or PCR test performed by a lab.
-Athletes who test positive must contact the athletic trainer for guidance on return to play.
-The booster dose (when eligible) is now required for any staff or student aged 18 and up to be exempt from a quarantine following an exposure outside of school.
-Students aged 17 and under are not required to have their booster dose to be exempt from a quarantine following an exposure outside of school.
-All vaccinated students are encouraged to submit a copy of their vaccination record to the school nurse.
-An updated protocol flowchart will be posted on our website.
-The dashboard will still be available on the website.

Should you need assistance finding a location for a COVID test or a COVID vaccine, please contact your school nurse. COVID tests are available daily in the district through the School-Based Health Center.

These new protocols go into effect on Wednesday, January 26, 2022. ​Any quarantine that was initiated before this date should follow the dates they were given. Any quarantine initiated on January 26 or after will follow the new guidelines.

To view a larger version of the response chart, click here.