Updated TK-12 Covid-19 guidelines go into effect Wednesday in Los Angeles County

Students who have been exposed to Covid-19 but have not shown symptoms are required to wear their masks indoors for 10 days after the exposure beginning Wednesday, according to updated guidelines from the Los Angeles Department of Public Health. The department has also altered the definition of close contacts, which could require full indoor classrooms to mask as a result of exposure.

The move comes as the number of Covid-19 cases across the county continues to rise, in part due to a new omicron subvariant. According to a news release from the Department of Public Health, the BA.2 subvariant accounted for 88% of recent L.A. County samples as of Friday. The department has also seen small increases in outbreaks among TK-12 schools.

Though exposure in small indoor spaces will require all those in the area to mask, large indoor airspaces limit close contacts to those in an identifiable group, such as a club or a team, as well as to those who come within 6 feet of the infected person for more than 15 minutes. On top of masking, asymptomatic students will also be required to test three to five days after the exposure.