COLUMBUS, Ohio — After findings in recent studies, Gov. Mike DeWine is changing the state's quarantine guidance for schools.
The governor announced on Wednesday the state is no longer recommending students and teachers who have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive person in school quarantine, as long as masks were worn and the exposure took place in a classroom setting.
"Ultimately, this will be one more step to keep our kids in the classroom which we know this is where we want them to be," DeWine said.
Schools should continue to quarantine exposed students if masking and distancing protocols were not followed.
The change does not apply to after-school activities, including sports.
The change comes after the Ohio Schools COVID-19 Evaluation Team found if students in class wear masks and kept social distance, they did not have an increased risk of catching the virus from a nearby student who may have had it.
"This evaluation confirms for us that Ohio's classrooms are a safe place for our students and that the commitment our schools have made to keeping kids safe in the classroom is working," DeWine said.
The state previously followed the CDC's recommendation that students who were in close contact with a student who tested positive for COVID-19 should quarantine.