Health & Safety
The COVID-19 isolation and quarantine protocols have been updated in October 2022. If you have any questions after reading these updates, please contact CovidRPS@rvaschools.net.
Richmond City has been at the “Medium” or “Low” CDC community level since the beginning of
September. Therefore, this updated guidance document makes masks optional for staff and students,
both indoors and outdoors.
Moving forward, if/when the CDC community level returns to “High” for 2 consecutive weeks, RPS will
return to requiring masks indoors for all adults and students (although families could opt out via the
mask opt out protocol). If/when the CDC community level returns to “Medium” or “Low” for 2
consecutive weeks, RPS will return to making masks optional indoors and outdoors for all adults and
students.
Click Here to View All Va Department of HEalth vaccination clinics
Mitigation Strategies
The consistent, layered use of health and safety mitigation strategies and other measures continues to remain the most important way to keep the RPS community safe. The recommendations below are for all RPS schools and buildings.
RPS will continue:
- Promoting vaccination and staying “up to date”
- Optional mask wearing inside (unless on days 6-10 of a positive case – see below)
- Testing
- Ensuring HVAC/air quality
- Handwashing/hand sanitizing
- Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities
- Daily symptom checking and staying home when sick and getting tested
While this document will detail protocols related to each strategy, the key changes from the 2021-22 school year are:
- Masks are optional inside and outside for all adults (including staff partners, contractors, families, and volunteers) and students
- COVID-19 tests are available to all students and staff, as requested
- The isolation period for positive individuals is 5 days (mask wearing and distancing during lunch required on days 6-10)
- Co-isolation is no longer required for ongoing exposures (household exposures); individuals should monitor symptoms
- Quarantine is no longer required after exposure for asymptomatic individuals; mask use, testing, and symptom monitoring are recommended (but not required)
- All social distancing and group size restrictions are eliminated, including during meals
- Communication frequency/protocols have been modified