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Campus in Spring

In May 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. government formally declared an end to the COVID-19 global health emergency. This does not mean COVID-19 is gone or that the pandemic has ended. It simply means that we will transition from treating COVID-19 as an emergency to dealing with it as a disease that is here to stay.

Although mitigating COVID-19 continues to be a public health priority, the decision by the WHO and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirms that we have moved into a different phase of this pandemic. Many public health experts believe that most people, either through exposure or vaccines, now have some level of immunity to the coronavirus and its variants. We believe vaccinations continue to play an important role in preventing hospitalizations and severe illnesses; however, we also believe we can safely change our COVID-19 vaccine protocols to reflect the conclusion of the public health emergency.

SPS Updated COVID-19 Protocols

  • We strongly encourage all students, employees and visitors to the School to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. For most students and visitors, this is defined as:
    • The initial monovalent vaccine series and a single dose of the bivalent vaccine.
    • One dose of the bivalent vaccine.
    For more details and recommendations by age group and risk factor, please refer to the Food and Drug Administration’s site or the Centers for Disease Control.
  • We urge all students, employees and visitors traveling to St. Paul’s School to wear masks on public transportation so that they may arrive here healthy and help protect the entire SPS community.
  • We ask that all visitors and students who are returning from breaks refrain from coming to the School if they are not feeling well. This request extends also to any non-COVID-19 or non-flu illnesses that might be transmissible.
  • We encourage visitors to wear masks on grounds if they have an increased vulnerability to infectious diseases or if they have been in large crowds or crowded public spaces.
  • Any student or employee testing positive for COVID-19 will need to isolate in a location off grounds for a minimum of five days, until they are improving and without fever.
    • If the student who tested positive for COVID-19 has a roommate, a negative test is required to allow them to return to their dorm room after day 5.
    • If the student does not have a roommate and they are fever-free without the use of medication and their symptoms have improved, they can return to school after day 5 of isolation. They are required to wear a mask when around others through day 10. Masks can be removed earlier if the student has two negative tests at least 48 hours apart.
    • Any employee who tests positive for COVID-19 should isolate at home for at least five days. They can return to work if their symptoms are improving and they are fever-free without the use of medication. They will need to mask through day 10 when they are around others. Masks can be removed earlier if the employee has two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

Updated as of August 22, 2023