The California Department of Public Health updated its COVID-19 protocols and one the Lompoc Unified School District also did the same.
"So we have close contact testing that comes around to every school site that has a positive test and they do the PCR tests. In addition, we're incredibly grateful that the state has provided us with at home rapid tests," said Bree Valle, deputy superintendent of Lompoc Unified.
The district will do group contact tracing instead of individual, saying it makes it easier on the staff.
"As you can imagine, trying to identify any person who has had contact within six feet more than 15 minutes of an individual student over the course of a school day can be quite challenging,” Valla said.
Groups like athletic teams will be notified and given the opportunity to test.
Valla says tests results have been taking two to three days.
If someone has symptoms, they’re sent home to quarantine. If they do not, they are tested twice within the 10-day period.
"So a student who does test positive can then request or through their parents most likely request an at-home rapid test and then they would take that test at day seven after testing positive, which would then allow them to come back to school,” Valla said.
Lompoc Unified does have N95 masks available to both students and staff who want them. The district just received a new shipment from United Way and plans on keeping a stock.
If an unvaccinated student is exposed to someone who tests positive, they can come back to school day eight after exposure with a negative test that was done no sooner than day five after exposure. They also have to be symptom free.
If a teacher has symptoms and is vaccinated, they still have to stay away from work pending test results.