TOLEDO, Ohio — Lucas County school leaders are working to get kids back into the classroom, after new guidance released from the Ohio Department of Health last week made major changes to quarantine requirements for students exposed to COVID-19.
"As long as students in the classroom wear masks, as long as they are mask compliant and do the best they can with social distance, they do not have an increased risk of catching COVID-19 from a nearby student who may have had it," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said during a Dec. 30 briefing.
Now, someone exposed will not have to quarantine as long as they were masked and properly distanced from the person who tested positive for COVID-19.
This change could have an impact on how schools in Lucas County return for the second semester.
Monday, school leaders met with the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department to discuss how to safely get students back into the classroom.
However, a spokesperson with the health department said they are still waiting on more specific details from ODH on the updated guidance and what it could mean for making changes at a local level.
As of right now, almost all districts in Lucas County have plans to return to either hybrid or full in-person learning.
Leaders with Toledo Public Schools said they plan to stay remote through the month of January.
WTOL reached out to multiple school districts in Lucas County, but so far, they are not able to release any new information regarding their learning plans moving forward.