Despite recent state-level rulings limiting COVID-19 response measures, area residents are strongly advised to continue taking steps to prevent the spread of the virus, including getting tested and following CDC guidelines for quarantine and contact tracing, according to the Warren County Health Department.
Health officials responded this week to news that the Warren County R-III School District cited a change to health department policy as one of the reasons to end the schools’ policies for quarantining students after some types of COVID exposure. The district also ended its “test to stay” monitoring program that allowed exposed students to avoid quarantine if they participated in multiple days of COVID tests and tested negative.
County Health Director Stacey White said that although state-level rulings have limited the directives that health departments can give, the department never advised other community agencies to end their own COVID response plans.
“The health department has never recommended that quarantine and contact tracing be discontinued. We have been very clear that we always have and continue to recommend all citizens follow CDC guidelines which include quarantine, isolation and contact tracing, as well as all other CDC guidelines for COVID-19,” White said. “The only thing that is different is we are currently unable to issue quarantine letters at this time. We still strongly recommend everyone follow those CDC guidelines.”
Specifically, White said the health department did not advise Warren County R-III School Board members or staff to discontinue the district’s COVID protocols.
“It is up to (the school district) board how they proceed, and that is definitely not our recommendation,” White said.
Earlier this month, the Warren County Commission also issued its own statement advocating for citizens to continue following health advisories and CDC guidelines.
COVID cases are on the rise again locally after dropping off in the fall, according to the county health department. There were 195 cases in October, followed by 266 cases in November and 323 cases in the first half of December.
The health department said 41% of Warren County residents have completed COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccines are available for free from multiple community health providers, including the health department.
The deaths of 75 area residents have been linked to COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Editor’s note: An article in last week’s issue of The Record incorrectly stated that the Warren County Health Department had recommended lifting school quarantine protocols. Although state officials have limited what authority health departments have, Warren County officials have continually recommended adherence to CDC guidelines.
