Union County school board votes to end COVID-19 contact tracing, quarantine requirements

UNION COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - The Union County Board of Education has voted to end contact tracing and quarantine requirements related to COVID-19.

The meeting was held on Tuesday, Feb. 1 when school board members voted to end contact tracing and quarantine requirements beginning Monday, Feb. 7.

Officials say this new protocol will apply to students and staff. The motion to end contact tracing passed in an 8-1 vote Tuesday night.

Union County Public Schools also does not require mask-wearing in classrooms, as a vote passed 8-1 Tuesday night to keep the school district optional for face coverings.

In Dec. 2021, the Union County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to pass a joint resolution that supports the end of COVID-19 contact tracing and quarantine requirements in North Carolina public schools.

Related: Union County commissioners and education board approve joint resolution that supports ending COVID protocols in public schools

“Continuing the long-standing practice of putting the future of Union County first in all decisions, the Union County Board of Commissioners and Union County Board of Education have put forth a joint resolution calling on the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to adjust protocol for contact tracing and quarantine of public school students related to COVID-19. COVID-19 will continue to be a communicable disease we must address and respond to, and we remain committed to doing so. However, we are at a pivotal point in the pandemic where we must adjust our policies to allow us to rely on tried and true public health practices, as we do for all communicable diseases. By asking the State to reevaluate the quarantine and contact tracing protocol in schools, it will enable the public health officials and school nurses who have been performing the arduous processes of contact tracing to shift their focus to more productive programs and services. This joint resolution does not diminish the importance of caring for all children who are sick whether from COVID-19, flu or any other communicable disease,” a December press release read.

In Sept. 2021, the Union County Board of Education voted to do away with contact tracing, a decision met with scrutiny from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Related: NC health leader: Union County school board could face legal action if COVID-19 procedures aren’t followed

At that time, North Carolina State Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen sent the district a letter asking them to comply with state guidance by Friday, or legal action could be taken. Cohen said the school board’s decision at that time “poses an imminent threat of serious, adverse health consequences for students, teachers, staff, and the public.”

The school board reversed course a week later.

In the coming days, officials say Union County Public Schools will communicate additional information related to guidance, frequently asked questions and other things about the decision to end contact tracing.

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