Ohio’s Department of Health is collaborating with 10 school districts in Warren County to develop a strategy that would allow unvaccinated students who have been exposed to COVID-19 in schools without mask mandates to continue attending classes, according to Governor Mike DeWine. Currently, unvaccinated students who are exposed to the virus must quarantine at home if their school does not enforce mask-wearing, social distancing, and other COVID-19 prevention measures, as outlined by the Department of Health.
The plan, which is currently being finalized, would enable unvaccinated students in the 10 participating districts, who have been exposed to the virus, to remain in school if they wear a mask for a designated period and undergo testing on two separate occasions. Governor DeWine announced this during a press conference in Columbus.
Governor DeWine expressed hope that if the plan proves successful, it can be implemented in other schools across Ohio. He stated, "It’s one more effort, one more attempt to do everything we can to keep our kids in schools." DeWine revealed that he instructed Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, the Director of the Department of Health, to hold a conference call with officials from the 10 districts on Thursday to discuss the details, although he cautioned that the specifics are still being finalized.
The pilot project was suggested by the districts in a letter addressed to Governor DeWine and Dr. Vanderhoff, which was dated last week. Within two weeks of the school year, over 10% of students in Lebanon, the county seat of Warren County, had been exposed to COVID-19, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
In their letter, school officials highlighted the negative consequences of quarantining healthy students at home. They stated that it had a detrimental impact on students’ mental health, hindered educators’ ability to teach, created division and resentment in the community, and caused financial hardship for students’ parents and caregivers. "The division and distrust that we are experiencing this year is at an all-time high," the letter emphasized. "If we want to ensure the safety of our students, keep our schools open, and prevent further division in our communities, we need to improve our strategy for living with COVID-19."
