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Covid Hotline Updates

Dear Rock Hill Schools Family,

As we start the 2022-23 school year and the impact of COVID-19 continues to decline, SCDHEC has provided updated guidelines to exclusion criteria for individuals who are positive or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 as well as guidance for schools during an outbreak of COVID-19.  We have made changes to our district processes based on this new guidance and our goal is to keep healthy students in school.  We look forward to working with you to ensure your student has a great school year.

COVID Call Center

The COVID Call Center opened August 8.  All Covid-19 questions and reporting must be directed to the call center.  Staff at the call center will be available Monday–Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to answer questions, provide return to school dates, correctly code attendance related to COVID-19, and assist with arranging COVID testing when needed. You must contact the COVID Call Center to ensure absences related to COVID are coded correctly for your student. You may reach the call center at 803-980-2016 or covid@rhmail.org. If contacting us via email, please allow up to 24 hours for a response.

Positive or Symptomatic Students/Staff 

Any student or employee who has symptoms of COVID-19 or tests positive is still required to isolate at home and report test results and symptoms to the COVID Call Center.  The recommended isolation period continues to be 10 days from onset of symptoms or date of positive test.  The district will send notifications to families when there is a positive case in their child’s classroom.

We continue to provide free testing at each school for students and staff who have symptoms. Please reach out to your school nurse to schedule a test.  COVID-19 home test results will not be accepted. 

As outlined in the DHEC School Exclusion List, students and staff who test positive for or display symptoms of COVID-19 must stay home from school/work until all criteria for return are met. 

Criteria for return to school/work if POSITIVE for COVID-19:

  • Isolate at least 5 days since symptoms started or from date of positive test if no symptoms
  • 24 hours since the last fever without using fever-reducing medication 
  • Symptoms are significantly improving
  • Parent/Staff must complete the Symptomatic/Positive Early Return Request Form on the district website
  • A mask MUST be worn days 6-10. If a mask is not worn, a 10-day isolation must be completed at home.

 Criteria for return to school/work if experiencing symptoms of COVID-19:

  • Test negative for COVID-19 and symptoms are improving or provide a physician note stating student/staff is cleared to return to school.  Negative COVID test results or physician notes must be sent to the COVID Call Center email covid@rhmail.org

 OR

  • Meets ALL of the following criteria (if not tested for COVID-19):
    • Isolate at least 5 days since symptoms started 
    • 24 hours since the last fever without using fever-reducing medication 
    • Symptoms are significantly improving
    • Parent/Staff must complete the Symptomatic/Positive Early Return Request Form on the district website
    • A mask MUST be worn days 6-10. If a mask is not worn, a 10-day isolation must be completed at home.

Quarantine, Contact Tracing, Test to Stay 

DHEC guidance no longer requires schools to contact trace and quarantine students or staff for close/household contact to a positive COVID-19 individual unless the school has identified an outbreak of cases in a cohort/classroom.  

DHEC Guidance related to positive or symptomatic cases in a cohort/classroom has not changed.  DHEC still recommends excluding close contacts to positive students within a classroom, athletic team, or other cohort if 20 percent of that group is absent, or sent home for experiencing symptoms or testing positive for COVID-19, within a 72 hour period. 

There are three exceptions to quarantine for close contacts during an outbreak:

  • Individual is up-to-date on recommended vaccine
  • Individual has tested positive for COVID within the last 90 days and is able to provide test results
  • Individual is enrolled in the Test-To-Stay program.  

Additional information and resources about COVID-19 can be found on the district website.