When to Stay Home

Updated March 14, 2022

For a visual decision tool, see the Department of Health flowchart (pdf) for "what to do if a person is symptomatic."

Call your child’s school nurse if you have questions, or call Health Services at 360-662-1070.

COVID-19 Self-Evaluation

Self-evaluation prior to coming to school:

Do you have any of the following symptoms within the last day that are not caused by another condition?
- Fever (100.4 F) or chills.
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Recent loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Have you been in close contact with anyone with confirmed COVID-19 and are unvaccinated and choose not to participate in the Test to Stay program? (Note: Close contact is defined as within 6-feet for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. The close contact definition excludes students who were at least three feet away from an infected student when (a) both students were wearing face coverings/masks and (b) other prevention strategies were in place. This exception does not apply to teachers, staff, or other adults in the indoor classroom setting).
Have you had a positive COVID-19 test for active virus in the past 5 days, or are you awaiting results of a COVID-19 test?
Within the past 14 days, has a public health or medical professional told you to self-isolate, or self-quarantine because of concerns about COVID-19 infection?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, students must stay home. Parents should notify the school.

Returning to School If Your Child Has Had COVID-19 Symptoms

Symptomatic individuals may return to school under one of the following conditions:

If NO testing for COVID-19 is performed, your child must quarantine for 5 full days from the onset of symptoms date and may return on Day 6 if:
- No symptoms are present, or symptoms are resolving; AND
- No fever within the past 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.
If your child tests positive for COVID-19, they may return when the following criteria are met:
- 5 days* have passed since symptom onset, or since positive test specimen collection date if no symptoms are present (*note: people who are severely ill or severely immunocompromised may need to isolate for up to 20 days); AND
- No symptoms are present, or symptoms are resolving; AND
- No fever within the past 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.
Students and staff must continue monitoring for symptoms and wearing a well-fitting mask around others through day 10 (days 6-10) both in and out of school, including during extracurricular and sports activities.

Individuals who have accommodations that allow them to attend school and not wear a well-fitting mask or face shield with a drape or wrap must stay in isolation the full 10 days.
If your child tests negative for COVID-19 and has not been identified as a close contact, they can return to school after being fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication AND symptoms have improved.