HARFORD COUNTY, Md. — Starting August 16, Harford County Public Schools will require all people to wear masks in buildings and on school buses.
Harford County officials say their goal is to keep schools open and keep the students in school. The CDC issued an exception to quarantine guidance for schools if COVID protocols are followed and students wear masks, then they may not be required to quarantine.
When students are not wearing masks or are unable to distance, then they may be sent home to quarantine for 10-14 days, officials said.
- Stay home with any of these symptoms: Fever or chills; Cough; Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; Fatigue; Muscle or body aches; Headache; New loss of taste or smell; Sore throat; Congestion or runny nose; Nausea or vomiting; Diarrhea. If these symptoms appear, please contact your health care provider and inform the school nurse of your illness.
- Students who are isolated due to symptoms or illness or quarantined due to close contact, must be picked up promptly from the school and cannot ride an HCPS bus.
- The school nurse will inform all who have been identified as ‘close contact’ about potential exposure to COVID19 and will inform all impacted on current quarantine requirements.
- Vaccines are available at www.harfordcountyhealth.com, 410-612-1779, or https://www.marylandvax.org/. Vaccinated individuals may not have to quarantine when exposed to COVID-19 unless they have symptoms of the virus.
- All should bring a water bottle to school, as water fountains continue to be closed except for bottle filling.
- All protocols are subject to change based on public health guidance.
