• Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • World News
  • Second Amendment
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Illinois Review
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • World News
  • Second Amendment
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • World News
  • Second Amendment
No Result
View All Result
Illinois Review
No Result
View All Result
Home Illinois News

IDPH adopts CDC’s recommended definition for “school outbreak” of COVID

Illinois Review by Illinois Review
October 15, 2021
in Illinois News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
1
26
SHARES
433
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

From the Illinois Department of Public Health Friday afternoon - 

You might also like

Opinion: The IL GOP Belongs to the People — Not to Power-Hungry Insiders

Economos: Illinois’ Pension Crisis – A Tale of Mismanagement

Mayor Johnson: Chicago ‘Police Dept. Will Not Ever Cooperate with ICE’

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to adopt the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists’ (CSTE) guidance for PreK-12 school-associated outbreaks.  Previously, CDC recommended that two cases associated with a school would constitute an outbreak.  The new national recommendation that Illinois is adopting defines a school outbreak as either (1) multiple cases comprising at least 10% of students, teachers, or staff within a core group or (2) at least three cases within a specified core group.  A core group means only those individuals who were together during an exposure period.  For example, this could be limited to a classroom, a sports team, before/after school care, performing arts, or other groups and likely does not apply to the entire school population. 

More information about school outbreaks, exclusion, guidance, and Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the IDPH website on a new COVID-19 Youth and School Resources page, including youth vaccination rates by county, youth cases over time, and youth emergency department visits.  https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19/youth-school.html.

“In an effort to more confidently establish whether transmission of COVID-19 occurred in school versus another location, IDPH is following CDC’s recommendations and adopting Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists’ guidance, which updates what is considered to be a school-associated outbreak,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.  “This change in criteria will continue to identify outbreaks and help prevent further spread, but also help rule out outbreaks that are not associated with the school.”

To be considered part of an outbreak in a school, cases must meet the criteria for a probable or confirmed school-associated case with a positive test result, or the start of symptoms within 14 days of each other.  These individuals are identified to be close contacts with each other while in the school setting and not another setting outside of school.  The cases must also be epidemiologically linked to the school setting or extracurricular activity, meaning they were at the same place at the same time. 

Masks continue to be required to be worn in schools by students, staff, and visitors to help protect the health of those in schools and prevent further transmission in the community among vulnerable populations. 

More information about the importance of using layered prevention strategies, including universal masking, to stop the spread and minimize disruptions to school operations for safe in-person education can be found in three new studies.   These studies found that school districts without a universal masking policy in place were more likely to have COVID-19 outbreaks.  Nationwide, counties without masking requirements saw the number of pediatric COVID-19 cases increase nearly twice as quickly during this same period.  Masking also helps keep students in school.  In Illinois, a student who was within 3-6 feet of a case in a classroom setting is not considered a close contact if both the case and close contact were consistently masked for the entire exposure period.

IDPH recommends vaccination for individuals 12 years and older, including students.  School personnel are required to be fully vaccinated or tested at least weekly for COVID-19, per Executive Order.

IDPH has also teamed up with SHIELD Illinois to provide free COVID-19 testing to all K-12 public schools across Illinois outside of Chicago.  As an alternative to exclusion from school, unvaccinated students and staff who have been identified as a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case now have the option of a Test-to-Stay protocol, as long as both the case and contact were masked during the exposure.  Close contacts must be tested on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after exposure.  As long as close contacts remain negative, they are allowed to remain in school.  Participation in weekly screening testing at school is strongly encouraged as an added layered mitigation strategy and to support implementation of Test-to-Stay. 

Related

Share10Tweet7
Previous Post

Liberty Counsel: Military, Federal Employees and Civilian Contractors Sue Biden

Next Post

Rossi: America Is Waking Up to President Biden’s Severe Damage to Our Republic

Illinois Review

Illinois Review

Founded in 2005, Illinois Review is the leading perspective and source of conservative news, opinion and information in Illinois. Follow Illinois Review on X at @IllinoisReview.

Recommended For You

Opinion: The IL GOP Belongs to the People — Not to Power-Hungry Insiders

by Jacqueline Garretson
July 11, 2025
0
Opinion: The IL GOP Belongs to the People — Not to Power-Hungry Insiders

By Jacqueline Garretson, Opinion ContributorA few months ago, I had the opportunity to speak on a podcast where I shared my personal journey in politics, how I became...

Read moreDetails

Economos: Illinois’ Pension Crisis – A Tale of Mismanagement

by James P. Economos, DDS
July 8, 2025
0
Economos: Illinois’ Pension Crisis – A Tale of Mismanagement

By James P. Economos, DDS, Opinion Contributor There’s been constant debate over Illinois' pension system – and for good reason. It remains chronically underfunded and plagued with issues...

Read moreDetails

Mayor Johnson: Chicago ‘Police Dept. Will Not Ever Cooperate with ICE’

by Illinois Review
July 8, 2025
0
Mayor Johnson: Chicago ‘Police Dept. Will Not Ever Cooperate with ICE’

By Illinois ReviewAt a Tuesday morning press conference at Chicago City Hall, Mayor Brandon Johnson — whose approval rating hovers around six percent — reiterated that local law...

Read moreDetails

Chicago AM560 Axes Local Morning Radio Personality Amy Jacobson, Keeps Florida-based Host in Cost-Cutting Move

by Illinois Review
July 1, 2025
0
Chicago AM560 Axes Local Morning Radio Personality Amy Jacobson, Keeps Florida-based Host in Cost-Cutting Move

By Illinois ReviewIn a shocking cost-cutting move Tuesday, Chicago’s AM560 The Answer terminated longtime morning host Amy Jacobson, as the struggling conservative station grapples with declining relevance –...

Read moreDetails

JB Pritzker Receives 2% in Presidential Poll, Ranks Lowest in Minority Support Among Democrats

by Illinois Review
June 30, 2025
0
JB Pritzker Receives 2% in Presidential Poll, Ranks Lowest in Minority Support Among Democrats

By Illinois ReviewIn one of the first nationwide hypothetical polls for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, Illinois Governor and billionaire JB Pritzker ranks at the bottom, receiving the...

Read moreDetails
Next Post

Rossi: America Is Waking Up to President Biden’s Severe Damage to Our Republic

Please login to join discussion

Best Dental Group

Related News

IL Freedom Caucus calls on Lurie Children’s Hospital to cease gender services for kids

October 27, 2022

Beckman: Is the Brigham Young University racial slur controversy another hoax?

October 27, 2022

Salvi polling shows closer race

October 27, 2022

Browse by Category

  • America First
  • Education
  • Faith & Family
  • Foreign Policy
  • Health Care
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • Opinion
  • Science
  • Second Amendment
  • TRENDING
  • US NEWS
  • US Politics
  • World News
Illinois Review

© 2024 llinois Review LLC Editor in Chief Mark Vargas Publisher Thomas McCullagh Chief Counsel Scott Kaspar

Navigate Site

  • Checkout
  • Home
  • Home – mobile
  • Login/Register
  • Login/Register
  • My account
  • My Account-
  • My Account- – mobile

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • Health Care
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • TRENDING
  • Education
  • Foreign Policy
  • Second Amendment
  • Faith & Family
  • Science
  • World News

© 2024 llinois Review LLC Editor in Chief Mark Vargas Publisher Thomas McCullagh Chief Counsel Scott Kaspar

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?