Any individuals who themselves either: (a) are lab-confirmed to have COVID-19; or (b)
experience the symptoms of COVID-19 (listed below) must stay at home throughout the
infection period, and cannot return to campus until the school system screens the individual
to determine any of the below conditions for campus re-entry have been met:
o In the case of an individual who was diagnosed with COVID-19, the individual may
return to school when all three of the following criteria are met:
i. at least one day (24 hours) has passed since recovery (resolution of fever
without the use of fever-reducing medications);
ii. the individual has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of
breath); and
iii. at least ten days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
o In the case of an individual who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and who is not
evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, such individual is
assumed to have COVID-19, and the individual may not return to the campus until the
individual has completed the same three-step set of criteria listed above.
o If the individual has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to school
before completing the above stay at home period, the individual must either (a)
obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an
alternative diagnosis or (b) obtain an acute infection test at an approved testing
location (https://tdem.texas.gov/covid-19/) that comes back negative for COVID-19.
experience the symptoms of COVID-19 (listed below) must stay at home throughout the
infection period, and cannot return to campus until the school system screens the individual
to determine any of the below conditions for campus re-entry have been met:
o In the case of an individual who was diagnosed with COVID-19, the individual may
return to school when all three of the following criteria are met:
i. at least one day (24 hours) has passed since recovery (resolution of fever
without the use of fever-reducing medications);
ii. the individual has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of
breath); and
iii. at least ten days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
o In the case of an individual who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and who is not
evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, such individual is
assumed to have COVID-19, and the individual may not return to the campus until the
individual has completed the same three-step set of criteria listed above.
o If the individual has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to school
before completing the above stay at home period, the individual must either (a)
obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an
alternative diagnosis or (b) obtain an acute infection test at an approved testing
location (https://tdem.texas.gov/covid-19/) that comes back negative for COVID-19.
DEFINITION OF CLOSE CONTACT
In general, close contact is
defined as:
a. being directly exposed to infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on); or
b. being within 6 feet for a cumulative duration of 15 minutes; however, additional factors like
case/contact masking (i.e., both the infectious individual and the potential close contact have
been consistently and properly masked), ventilation, presence of dividers, and case
symptomology may affect this determination.
Either (a) or (b) defines close contact if it occurred during the infectious period of the case, defined
as two days prior to symptom onset to 10 days after symptom onset. In the case of asymptomatic
individuals who are lab-confirmed with COVID-19, the infectious period is defined as two days prior
to the confirming lab test and continuing for 10 days following the confirming lab test.
defined as:
a. being directly exposed to infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on); or
b. being within 6 feet for a cumulative duration of 15 minutes; however, additional factors like
case/contact masking (i.e., both the infectious individual and the potential close contact have
been consistently and properly masked), ventilation, presence of dividers, and case
symptomology may affect this determination.
Either (a) or (b) defines close contact if it occurred during the infectious period of the case, defined
as two days prior to symptom onset to 10 days after symptom onset. In the case of asymptomatic
individuals who are lab-confirmed with COVID-19, the infectious period is defined as two days prior
to the confirming lab test and continuing for 10 days following the confirming lab test.