Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced new guidance that includes nixing quarantines for students who were exposed to coronavirus-infected classmates but were still following other precautions.
DeWine announced the revised guidance on Wednesday and said data supports the concept that exposed children who were wearing masks and were socially distanced “did not have an increased risk of catching the virus from a nearby positive student.”
“Because of the data we now have, we’re changing our guidance and are no longer recommending that students who have been exposed to another COVID+ student quarantine – as long as all students have been wearing masks and the exposure took place in a classroom setting,” the Republican governor said on Twitter.
Because of the data we now have, we’re changing our guidance and are no longer recommending that students who have been exposed to another COVID+ student quarantine – as long as all students have been wearing masks and the exposure took place in a classroom setting.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) December 30, 2020
He added that the new guidance does not apply to students who were not wearing masks or not socially distancing at the time of potential exposure. He also said the guidance only applies to students in classrooms and not after-school activities or sports.
“Ultimately, this is one more step to keep our kids in the classroom – which is where we want them to be,” he said.
Ultimately, this is one more step to keep our kids in the classroom – which is where we want them to be.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) December 30, 2020
The pandemic has spurred fears that the lack of in-person classes and social interactions has had a negative impact on the mental health of students. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a November report that emergency department visits for mental health in children have grown since last year.
“Beginning in April 2020, the proportion of children’s mental health–related ED visits among all pediatric ED visits increased and remained elevated through October,” the CDC said. “Compared with 2019, the proportion of mental health–related visits for children aged 5–11 and 12–17 years increased approximately 24%. and 31%, respectively.”
Since the pandemic began earlier this year, there have been nearly 20 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the United States, resulting in more than 340,000 deaths attributed to the virus.
