Schools
Updated School and Childcare Protocols
Pitkin County Public Health has updated the School and Childcare Isolation and Quarantine Protocol and associated documents (click on the buttons below for full details. All documents go into effect starting October 1, 2020.
The main changes to the documents can be found below.
Pitkin County Public Health is dedicated to maintaining the health and well being of all children and staff members at Pitkin County schools and child care facilities while also ensuring schools and child care facilities can operate safely. This protocol applies to all schools and child care facilities in Pitkin County as well as the RE-1 school district.
When To Stay Home Or Go Home
A student or staff member who has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or has any of the following symptoms should stay home
Please see When to Get a COVID-19 Test below to determine when someone with symptoms of COVID-19 should be tested AND call your school to inform them of the reason for your absence.
Anyone with at least one COVID-19 symptom must isolate at home for 10 days. Cohort and close contacts do not need to quarantine unless directed to do so by public health.
If at least one of the above symptoms have developed within 14 days of being around someone diagnosed with COVID-19, please contact Pitkin County Public Health immediately at (970) 429-6186.
When To Get A COVID Test
A student or staff member should be tested for COVID-19 under the following circumstances
Call your primary care physician if you meet either of the above criteria so that they may order a COVID-19 test. If you do not have a primary care
physician or are uninsured, Aspen Valley Hospital (970-544-1392) and Mountain Family Health Centers (970 945-2840) may be able to support you.
You must isolate at home following your COVID-19 Test. People with COVID-19 symptoms must continue to isolate even with a negative COVID-19 test result.
1 Testing too early after exposure can result in a false negative result. Testing should occur in the window of 7 days after the first date that a person was exposed to someone with COVID-19.
2 Testing too early after symptoms develop can result in a false negative result. Testing should occur after two days have passed since the first symptom developed.
Isolation & Quarantine
If you have symptoms or test positive for Covid-19
You will be asked to isolate yourself
You may be contagious even if you don’t feel sick
Stay home for 10 days
If after 10 days you have no fever for 24 hours and all other symptoms have improved, you may discontinue isolation
If you were exposed to Covid-19
You will be asked to quarantine yourself
You may be contagious even if you don’t feel sick
Stay home for 14 days
If after 14 days you don’t have symptoms, you may discontinue quarantine
