Holcomb’s executive order loosens Indiana’s quarantine rules for schools
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana is loosening its quarantine rules for schools and some parents are concerned.
Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a new executive order that keeps districts with mask mandates from having to quarantine.
It says schools and day cares that have mask requirements do not have to quarantine students, teachers and staff who are close contacts and aren’t showing symptoms of COVID-19. Parent Courtney Short isn’t sold on the idea.
“I don’t want my kids to catch it. Like, kids seem to be getting it more and more and my kids aren’t even old enough to get the vaccine yet, they’re still too young,” Short said.
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However, Holcomb says keeping kids in classrooms continues to be a priority for the state, and it’s up to all Hoosiers to help.
“We can all stay safe, if you get vaccinated and that truly is my appeal is to get vaccinated. This is what is interfering with our supply chains,. This is what’s holding parts of our economy back. This is what’s pulling our kids out of school and while we have 3.1 million some who are vaccinated, the balance leaves a lot to spread,” Holcomb said.
The order also says schools still have to contact trace by notifying their local health department as well as parents, teachers and staff who were exposed to a positive case.
While Short says she doesn’t agree with the rule change, she hopes it pushes more schools to implement mask mandates, something her kids’ school doesn’t have.
“If they go to a party or something, they could be exposed to it there and may not report it to the school at all, so they could still be exposing other kids because like I said, they don’t have to wear masks at the school they go to,” Short said.
Some school districts are already adjusting to the new rules. Brownsburg Community School Corporation Superintendent Jim Snapp tweeted that the district is reaching out to students in quarantine who were masked when identified as a close contact to let them know they can return to school Thursday with masks.
Westfield Washington Schools sent a letter to families saying they are going to stick to their current protocols while they review the governor’s order. According to the district’s website, there are 130 students currently quarantining due to COVID-19.