Agua Fria high school district implements quarantine policy following county notice

By Madeline Ackley
Twitter: @Mkayackley

The Agua Fria Union High School District is now requiring unvaccinated students who have come in “close contact” with a COVID-positive person to quarantine for a maximum of 10 days.

Previously, even AFUHSD students exposed to COVID were not required to quarantine. 

The change in policy comes after the Maricopa County Department of Health announced that effective Monday, Aug. 23, certain students exposed to COVID-19 in public schools must quarantine.

“After consultation with MCDPH and district legal counsel, Agua Fria UHSD has modified our Covid-19 Protocols,” the district stated in an announcement.

“Close contact” is defined by the county health officials as having been within 6 feet of a person with an active case of COVID for 15 minutes or more over a 24 hour-period. 

District teachers and staff are still not required to quarantine if exposed. 

“Because they are considered essential employees, teachers, staff or other adults in the classroom setting are not required to quarantine,” according to a district announcement. Instead, staff will be provided a KN-95 mask if they are exposed to COVID. 

New quarantine protocols

Some students will not need to quarantine if they meet certain criteria. 

Students who can provide proof of full vaccination or have tested positive for COVID in the past 90 days may immediately return to school in-person. Proof of vaccination or positive test can be submitted at http://submit.aguafria.org, according to the district announcement. 

Additional guidance from the department of health states that students will not need to quarantine if they remained at least 3 feet away from a COVID-positve person, and both parties were wearing masks.  

Any unvaccinated student who has had physical contact with a COVID-positive person will be required to quarantine, regardless if masks were worn, according to county health department rules. 

Students who do not meet these exemptions will be required to quarantine for 10 days, but may be allowed to return after seven if they have not exhibited COVID symptoms and can provide a negative test taken a full five days from exposure. 

Masks continue to be optional for students, staff and visitors, though everyone on campus is required to have a mask in their possession.

Madeline Ackley can be reached at mackley@iniusa.org or found on Twitter @Mkayackley.