New Covid-19 guidelines for the upcoming school year reduce isolation time for positive cases and remove school-wide mask mandates.

A memo sent by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on Monday, Aug. 15 reads, “The Commonwealth is not recommending universal mask requirements, surveillance testing of asymptomatic individuals, contact tracing, or test-to-stay testing in schools.”

The department states that while there is no state-wide masking mandate in schools, school districts should support students and staff who do choose to wear masks.

Students are still required to wear masks in school health offices.

Old Rochester Regional School District Superintendent Michael Nelson said the district is “still unpacking the guidance and will be communicating any necessary information to the school community in coming days.”

Guidance released on the same day by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health states that children and staff who test positive for Covid-19 must isolate for five days.

After isolation, if an infected person is asymptomatic and fever-free without using medication for 24 hours, they can return to school wearing a “high-quality” mask for an additional five days.

If the infected person is still showing symptoms after the five-day isolation period, “symptomatic individuals can remain in their school or program if they have mild symptoms, are tested immediately onsite, and that test is negative.”

For more information about Covid-19 guidelines visit the Massachusetts Department of Public Health website at https://www.mass.gov/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19 or call the state’s COVID-19 hotline at (877) 211-6277.