Dorchester District Two switching to test-to-stay Covid-19 program, new pandemic guidelines for students, teachers and staff

Dorchester County, South Carolina – Dorchester District Two announced they are implementing new guidelines for students, teachers and school staff who have been exposed to Covid-19.

According to the announcement, the new Covid-19 guidelines known as test-to-stay are being implemented in an effort to allow students and staff stay at schools if they have been exposed to the virus.

The new guidelines are the same that DHEC has been promoting and asking districts to stick to for some time now.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s guidelines state students and staff must remain symptom free, wear a mask for 10 days and have a negative test between day 5 and 7 with results submitted by day 8.

Students and staff who for some reason are unable to wear mask during this period, will not be allowed to return to school until after their quarantine period. In addition to them, those who won’t be tested for some reason will have to undergo 10-day quarantine before getting back to school.

DD2 says students under quarantine with a return date of Feb. 15 and beyond will be notified separately with a new return date and criteria.

The new Covid-19 guidelines will go into effect starting Monday next week.

In an effort to make schools safer places for everyone, the district recently launched a new online form for reporting COVID-19 exposure and positive tests.