COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control released new guidance on how schools should handle things like active COVID-19 cases as they return to classes.
According to the newest school guidance on DHEC's website, if a teacher or staff member working in a school has been in contact with someone who has COVID-19, but are not showing any symptoms, they can continue to work if the district allows it.
"The Department of Homeland Security, the federal one, puts out their sectors and list of critical infrastructure workers, and educators are on that list," Dhec Dr. Brannon Traxler said. "So, then the CDC gives guidance for critical infrastructure workers and them being allowed to work if necessary while they are in quarantine after an exposure."
Traxler said the person has to have no symptoms and cannot test positive for the coronavirus.
"I stand by our guidance," Traxler said. "Again, this is not somebody that has tested positive, but is asymptotic. This is just somebody who has been in close contact and is asymptotic, but if they are taking those precautions and those steps, we all have the same goal of wanting to keep our children in school but doing it safely for everyone involved."
Traxler said this should only be the circumstance if the employee is necessary to maintain operations.
"While it's not zero risk, most activities right now given that COVID-19 is a part of all of our lives, are not zero risk," Traxler said. "This still takes the necessary precaution to make that a low risk by ensuring the person is wearing a mask, really making sure social distancing is even more important than usual, and then making sure they don't have symptoms."
The South Carolina Department of Education said it is up to each individual school district to decide their policies for these scenarios.
As far as students are concerned, it is recommended if they come in contact with a case that they quarantine and stay home.
New 19 reached out to several school districts in the Midlands to find out their policy on this. Many of them said it would be on a case-by-case basis or that they would still have the teacher isolate for at least two weeks.