Two school districts in the county decided on changes to their COVID-19 quarantine and testing policies following changes in guidelines at the state and federal levels.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Dec. 27 changed the recommended isolation and quarantine guidelines for people who test positive for COVID-19. The CDC's new guidelines recommend isolating for five days and, if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving, to follow that with “five days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting people they encounter.”

“The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after,” the CDC's Dec. 27 media statement read.

For those exposed to COVID-19 but who have received a booster shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the past six months or completed the primary series of J&J vaccine within the past two months, the CDC recommends wearing a mask around others for 10 days and testing on day five if possible. For unvaccinated or unboosted individuals, the CDC recommends quarantining for five days and wearing a mask for five additional days, and testing on day five if possible.

If symptoms develop, the CDC recommends getting a test and staying home.

Prior to students' return to school Monday, Seneca Valley School District administrators sent home a letter Sunday informing parents of their updates to how the district will handle isolation and quarantine periods for students infected by or exposed to COVID-19.The district's new policies fall in line with the federal recommendations. Those with a confirmed COVID-19 case should isolate for five days; if no symptoms develop, they may return to school, but should wear a mask for five additional days. “Please contact the school nurse to confirm a return date to school before coming back to in-person instruction,” the letter adds.For COVID-19 exposures, the district's policies again follow federal guidelines. Unvaccinated or unboosted individuals, or those more than six months out from their last dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine or two months from the J&J shot, should quarantine for five days and mask for five days, while boosted or recently inoculated individuals do not have to quarantine.The district further recommends getting a test for SARS-CoV-2 five days after exposure, and reminds students, parents and staff to stay at home regardless of COVID-19 exposure status if they are ill.Seneca Valley also reminded the community of its masking policy: If Butler County is in the “substantial” or “high” level of COVID-19 transmission according to the CDC, all individuals in any school district building during the school day must mask.“The current transmission level in Butler County is 'high,' meaning that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask in Seneca Valley buildings,” the letter states. “Additionally, all students and staff are required to continue to wear masks on school transportation per a federal order.”

Mars Area School District unveiled changes to the district's COVID-19 quarantine and testing rules in an update posted to the school district's website on Monday.Citing the Pennsylvania Department of Health's updated guidance matching the CDC guidance, and referencing the district Health and Safety Plan's promise to adhere to local and state guidelines, the district is reducing the quarantine period for those who test positive for COVID-19 to five days for those who are asymptomatic.“As per the updated DOH guidelines, regardless of vaccination status, anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 must isolate for five days. To isolate, as much as possible, a person should remain in a specific room away from others in the home, use a separate bathroom and wear a mask around others in the home,” the guidance states. “If after five days, no symptoms or resolving symptoms are present, then the isolation period may be ended. However, such individuals are strongly encouraged to wear a mask around others through Day 10.”According to the new Mars Area guidelines, those who are identified as close contacts who are fully vaccinated or are wearing a mask at the time of exposure do not need to quarantine, but are asked to wear a mask around others for 10 days. Close contacts who have not been fully vaccinated or were not wearing appropriate face coverings at the time of initial exposure need to quarantine at home for five days, and should wear a mask around others through Day 10.“As per DOH guidelines, anyone, regardless of vaccination status, who has been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 should test on Day 5, if possible,” the guidelines read.“Thank you for patience and cooperation as we remain committed to ensuring that a safe, happy, and healthy educational experience is in place for all of our District students and families,” Superintendent Dr. Mark Gross said in a letter sent to parents on the topic.

Mars Area also elaborated on the use of at-home COVID-19 tests, which have become both commonly used and in high demand in the past few weeks.“While individuals who are exposed to COVID-19 are encouraged to obtain a test through their health care provider or a designated testing center, Mars Area School District acknowledges the current difficulty in scheduling and obtaining a timely COVID-19 test,” the guidelines state. “Therefore, on a temporary basis, the district will accept at-home test results, until such time that more tests become available.”The district requires that anyone who submits a positive result from an at-home test provide an image of the positive test result as well as the lot number and bar code printed on the box to verify the validity of individual test results.