Anchorage School District reduces required COVID isolation to 5 days

A sign says Anchorage School District.
The Anchorage School District Education Center. (Mayowa Aina/Alaska Public Media)

Following new CDC guidelines, the Anchorage School District will allow students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 to isolate for five days instead of 10.

After five days of isolation, students and staff can return to school when they have not had a fever in 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine and their other symptoms are improving, according to district guidelines. A negative test is not required to go back to school.

In a message to families Thursday, Superintendent Deena Bishop said there are no additional changes to the district’s mitigation plan. In an interview earlier this week, she said a five-day isolation period would help keep kids in classrooms as much as possible.

Masks are required for students and staff until at least Jan. 15. There are currently 629 active cases in the district.

RELATED: Anchorage schools could temporarily close if COVID, travel and weather leave them too understaffed

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