Quarantine is when someone who has been exposed to COVID-19 stays home and away from others for the recommended period of time. 

Who Must Quarantine:
Students and staff who come into close contact with someone with COVID-19 should quarantine for at least 5 days (day 0 through day 5) after their last close contact with a person who has COVID-19 if they are in one of the following groups:

• Ages 18 or older and completed the primary series of recommended vaccine but have not received a recommended booster shot when eligible.
• Those who have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine (completing the primary series) over 2 months ago and have not received a recommended booster shot.
• Those who are not vaccinated or have not completed a primary vaccine series.

*For household exposures this would be the last day the person with COVID-19 is considered infectious.

There are three quarantine options for close contacts. 

•  Test to Stay Program
  
• Quarantine at home and get tested. Students or staff must quarantine at home. Quarantine can end after 5 full days beginning after the last close contact (the date of last close contact is considered day 0) if no symptoms have developed and after receiving a negative test result from a test taken no sooner than day 5. Students and staff must wait to receive a negative test result from a test taken no sooner than day 5 post-exposure and provide the negative test documentation to the school before returning. 
• Quarantine at home with no testing. If an individual or student who is a close contact chooses not to test or does not get tested:
  • 10-day Quarantine: Quarantine should last for 10 days after the last close contact. However, if any COVID-19 symptoms develop during the 10 days, the individual should isolate and get tested.

Who Does Not Need to Quarantine:
Students and staff who come into close contact with someone with COVID-19 do not need to quarantine if they:

• Are ages 18 or older and have received all recommended vaccine doses, including boosters and additional primary shots for some immunocompromised people.
• Are ages 5-17 years and completed the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines. • Had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days.

Test to Stay is a voluntary option to reduce days out of the classroom.

Any student or staff member with COVID-19 should isolate at home. This isolation guidance applies regardless of vaccination status.

If a student or staff member tests positive, they can return to school when the following criteria are met: 

• 5 days have passed since symptom onset, or since positive test specimen collection date if no symptoms are present (*note: people who are severely ill or severely immunocompromised may need to isolate for up to 20 days); AND
• No symptoms are present, or symptoms are resolving; AND
• No fever within the past 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications. Students and staff should continue monitoring for symptoms and wearing a well-fitting mask around others through day 10 (days 6-10) both in and out of school, including during extracurricular and sports activities.

*Individuals who have been in isolation may test on day 5 of their isolation period.

A close contact is defined based on proximity and duration of exposure with consideration of mask wearing.

• In most settings, for COVID-19, a close contact is anyone who was within 6 feet of an infectious person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes). An infectious person can spread COVID-19 starting from 2 days before they have any symptoms or, if they are asymptomatic, 2 days before their sample that tested positive was collected.

• In the K-12 indoor classroom setting, or a structured outdoor setting (e.g., holding class outdoors with educator supervision; on a bus where assigned seating is adhered to, masks are worn appropriately throughout the duration of the trip , and windows and ceiling vents are open), where well-fitting masks are worn correctly and consistently, the close contact definition excludes students and staff who were between 3 to 6 feet of an infectious individual if both the infectious individual and the exposed individual(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time. In other words, in K12 indoor classrooms and structured outdoor settings, if students and staff are consistently wearing masks and seated or otherwise able to remain at least 3 feet apart, they are NOT considered close contacts.

What are the common symptoms of COVID-19?

Most COVID-19 cases are mild with fever and cough. Adults and children with COVID-19 have reported the following symptoms or combinations of symptoms, which may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus:

• Fever of 100.4°F / 38°C or higher
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Muscle pain or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

This list does not include all possible symptoms. Please talk to your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.

*Oak Harbor Public Schools will be pausing the Test to Stay program until further notice.

Test to Stay provides unvaccinated students and staff the opportunity for a "modified quarantine." This program is designed to help reduce exclusion. 

Test to Stay Overview:

• Test to Stay is for those who are not vaccinated or who have not received a booster.
• Families must consent to testing to participate in the Test to Stay program, otherwise the 10-day quarantine stays in effect.
• With Test to Stay, students and staff may attend school and may participate in extracurricular activities at school, including sports, and can attend childcare or youth development programs provided before and after school.
• Testing must be done either with the school, a medical provider, or an official testing site.

More Test to Stay information available.

STAFF & STUDENTS

Staff members and students experiencing symptoms should stay home. Students and staff who have been identified as a close contact should speak with their school's nurse. Students will not be tested without a signed parent consent form.

RAPID TESTING INFORMATION- COMMUNITY

Free at-home kits are now available to order. Click here for more information

There are no local vaccination clinics at this time. For information about where to get a vaccine please visit the Island County Public Health Website

Island County COVID Response COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics are open to the public for ages 5 and older. All vaccine manufacturers will be available.  

• Booster doses will be available for those 18 and older (and 16-17 year-olds if authorized by WA DOH).
• Moderna/Pfizer for those who received their initial series at least six months ago and at least two months ago for the J&J vaccine.
• For Booster doses, please schedule an appointment for each person being vaccinated.

• For 1st, 2nd, and 3rd (only severely immune-compromised patients) 
• No appointments or waiting in line are necessary; 
• Proceed to the Registration Table, and you will be helped immediately

Please bring your Vaccination Record Card or other proof of previous vaccinations. If you have questions, please contact the COVID Response Call Center at 360-678-2301

Boosters Now Available

The Washington State Department of Health (WADoH) is expanding the use of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for certain individuals following recommendations from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Scientific Safety Review Workgroup.

Providers can now offer booster doses of Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.  Johnson & Johnson is recommended two months after receiving the first dose.  Moderna and Pfizer are recommended after at least six months have passed since completing the primary vaccine series. The Pfizer booster is a full dose and Moderna is a half dose.  To be eligible: 

• Those 65 and older,

• Those 18-64 who live in long-term care settings,

• Those 18-64 who have underlying medical conditions, and 

• Those 18-65 who work or live in high-risk settings.

Boosters are available at:

• Island Drug: https://islanddrug.com/pages/covidvaccine/

• Safeway: https://www.safeway.com/pharmacy/covid-19.html

• Walgreens: https://www.walgreens.com/findcare/vaccination/covid/19/landing

• RiteAid: https://www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/scheduler

• Saar’s: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21923194

• Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/cp/flu-shots-immunizations/1228302

• Whidbey Health: https://whidbeyhealth.org/covid-19

• Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccines - What Parents/Guardians Should Know - DOH Flyer
• Vaccinating Youth website - Washington State Dept of Health
• COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens - CDC
• Pfizer (5-11) Vaccine Fact Sheet
• Booster information- Washington Department of Health