Returning To School After Diagnosis, Exposure, or Illness
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WCPSS health guidance and FAQ information have been developed in consultation and collaboration with Wake County Public Health.
Students and staff must stay home if they are sick.
Someone experiencing any symptom of illness not related to an already documented medical condition must be sent home, even if they don’t have a COVID-19 diagnosis.
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It is the student's/family’s responsibility to keep up with school work.
The student or family should notify the student’s teacher or teachers when the student is absent. Once notified, it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that the student is given assignments to work on while out sick. As students reach higher grade levels, they will begin taking on more responsibility for ensuring they receive assignments when they are absent.
If the student is too sick to complete assignments, they should prioritize health and well-being. In this situation, the student or family will make arrangements with the teacher to make up the work at an appropriate time.
For employees
Employees should access the Work and Leave Guidance page on the Return to the Workplace site on WakeConnect to learn more about leave and telework options during COVID-19 related absences.
If you are experiencing a symptom of illness
If you are not experiencing a symptom of illness
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Household members
As of April 5, 2021, students and employees are no longer required to stay home if someone living with them is experiencing a symptom of illness. Students and employees are required to stay home and quarantine if someone living with them is diagnosed with COVID-19.
Waiver of Quarantine Requirements After Vaccination or COVID-19 Diagnosis
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Process to Return to School/Work Without Quarantine
A person who has been completely vaccinated or who has previously been diagnosed with COVID-19 will need to show the following documentation to their school or supervisor in order to be allowed to return to school or work without fulfilling the quarantine requirements outlined in WCPSS guidance:
- If vaccinated: must present vaccine record with vaccination dates
- If previously diagnosed: must present proof of diagnosis, including the date
Vaccination Side Effects
If someone experiences side effects during the first few days after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination, they should stay home until they are no longer experiencing symptoms and have been without a fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine. They are not required to present an alternate diagnosis, negative COVID-19 test, or stay home for 10 days in order to return to school or work. Employees who experience side effects from the vaccination that delay their return to the worksite may take available leave.
