Greenville County Schools Announces Covid-19 Protocols for 2022-23 School Year

SC DHEC has released the latest requirements related to COVID-19 and protocols for the 2022-23 school year.

  • DHEC now requires school districts to report when a cohort (meaning a class, group or team) of more than 5 individuals (students and/or staff) has 20% or more positive cases within 72 hours.
  • GCS is required to track positive cases, and if a cohort that your student participates in (such as a class, team or club) has 20% or more positive cases within 72 hours, GCS will notify DHEC. While not required by DHEC, schools will provide additional notification to families of students that are in a cohort with 20% of more positive cases.
  • The following DHEC requirements will continue from last year:
    • If your child is exhibiting any of the following symptoms, with or without fever (100.4 or greater), they must be excluded from school and may return with a negative COVID test OR a doctor’s note clearing return with no further exclusion.
      • New/worsening cough
      • Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
      • New loss of taste and smell
    • If your child tests positive for COVID, you must report it to the school, and your child must isolate for 5 days.
      • If your child tests positive for COVID-19, they may return to school activities, as outlined in the provided guidance, on Day 6 as long as the following DHEC requirements are met:
        • Symptoms are significantly improving and no fever in the past 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication
        • Mask must be worn days 6 through 10
        • Please note that while students may return to in-person school on day #6 as long as DHEC requirements are met, students are not eligible to participate in athletics until after Day 10.

All of this information is being communicated with students’ families through Parent Backpack and School Messenger.

If you have any questions about these SC DHEC requirements, please contact the front office of your school.

Visit www.greenville.k12.sc.us for more information and future updates.

Prepared by Greenville County Schools.