Youngkin eases day care, school masking, quarantine guidance

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Quarantining after exposure to COVID-19 is no longer recommended for unvaccinated, asymptomatic children in child care, K-12 schools and camp settings, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced this week.

The guidance announced Thursday evening by the Republican governor’s office also said masking is no longer routinely recommended in those settings, except in limited circumstances. The latest guidance says people who test positive still should isolate at home, regardless of vaccination status, and those who have symptoms should begin isolation and undergo testing.

Youngkin said the guidance, which is a departure from federal recommendations, is aimed at easing the strain on work and family life many parents of young children have experienced as care and school settings have closed for quarantine periods in response to small numbers of cases.

“As Virginians continue to return to the office and social settings, the pandemic is disrupting workplaces and family life when entire child care facilities, camps and classrooms shutter in response to as few as two cases. Today marks a shift in my administration’s recommendations to optional quarantine for exposure to COVID-19 in child care and school settings as the severity of the disease decreases,” he said in a statement.

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