Greenville County teachers can now return to class after COVID exposure with no symptoms
Greenville County School District is allowing more teachers to return to classrooms after exposure to COVID. The district said even that may not keep enough teachers in the classroom and individual schools could still go virtual in coming days due to staff shortages.
Teachers in the district can now return to classrooms after being exposed to the virus as long as there are no symptoms, according to a change announced and put into place Monday.
The district said the policy means employees who have been exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19 are allowed to work during their quarantine period regardless of vaccination status. The quarantine time period of 10 days would also require a mask, according to the district's policy.
Student, teacher absences: Winter storm could be blessing for Greenville school district that's battling COVID surge
The change is due to a shortage of staff, the policy cites a "crisis staffing situation" and said the definition of crisis staffing is subject to change based on state guidance from the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
"This change may not ensure a sufficient level of staffing to prevent the need to shift a school to eLearning," the district's statement said.
Last week, Greenville County Schools board member Derek Lewis said the number of staff absences and vacancies is reaching critical numbers.
On Jan. 12, 1,300 classroom teachers and aides were absent, or about 21%, out of 6,000 instructional positions. Many of these teachers and aides were isolating due to positive COVID tests, or working from home because their children are isolating or quarantining at home.
The district is the state's largest.
Please subscribe to the Independent Mail at independentmail.com/subscribe
Mike Ellis lives in Powdersville and tells South Carolina stories with a focus on Anderson County and Pickens County along with faith and investigations. He's always looking for the next story that people need to read, please send any tips or feedback to mellis@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Greenville teachers can return after COVID exposure without symptoms
