UNION COUNTY, N.C. — In an 8-1 vote Tuesday night, the Union County Public Schools Board of Education approved ending contact tracing and quarantine requirements.

Citing an approved joint resolution with Union County commissioners, approved last month, the board said there was now a marked decline in COVID-19 cases.

The decline in cases was one of the criteria for ending contact tracing and quarantines.

Starting February 7, UCPS will discontinue contact tracing and quarantine policies

The board, citing the unending nature of the pandemic and desire to keep kids in school, voted 8-1

Board members claim the decision has the support of the county health director

In a document from the Union County Health Director Dennis Joyner, published on the board’s online document platform, he noted the decline in COVID-19 cases.

“Over the past week, Union County has experienced a declining number of COVID-19 cases,” the statement reads. 

You can read the entire document here.

The vote comes after board members and commissioners met on January 25 to vote on a new joint resolution, saying they would end the policies when cases were declining.

“Regardless of action by NCDHHS, we are planning changes to our approach to school quarantine and contact tracing procedures when we determine that cases in Union County are declining in the current surge. We anticipate this occurring in the coming week(s). Our focus is going to be on developing a collaborative approach that allows children to stay in school if they are not positive or symptomatic – the new approach is being fully developed and will be provided to the public in the coming week(s),” the resolution read.

You can read the entire joint resolution here.

The new policy will go into effect on Monday, February 7. School staff will inform parents on changes to the policy, how it will impact students and what options parents have to keep students out of school if exposed to COVID-19.

“I move that Union County Public Schools end contact tracing and quarantine requirements beginning this Monday, February 7,” said Vice Chair Kathy Heintel, who introduced the motion.

Board member Gary Sides said despite the vote, they wanted to make it clear students and staff who test positive should still remain away from the schools.

“We are not changing our policy of students or staff that are positive with the virus, with COVID, allowed in the building, on property. They are still to isolate. There’s no change there. Let me be very clear, just like if you had the flu, stay home. If you’re positive and you’re sick, you stay home,” Sides said after the motion was introduced.

Board member John Kirkpatrick was the one vote against, saying it was too early to end mitigation efforts.

“We are 41% positive rate, in the county, and we do not have a mask mandate, which assists with keeping kids in school. All right. And we’re getting ready to eliminate contact tracing within our schools, the only measures we have to assist with this pandemic,” Kirkpatrick said.

“I think it may be a very unsafe decision right now to even take away the only measures that we have to help keep kids safe, not only kids but to keep families safe,” Kirkpatrick continued. “I don’t think that’s a wise decision.” 

Heintel hit back at his assertion, saying the county’s schools were isolating positive cases among students and staff. She also said several other states have taken similar steps to end some COVID-19 polices.

“This isn’t new in the United States to do this,” Heintel said.“This isn’t new in the United States to do this,” Heintel said.

Several board members have repeatedly said the pandemic’s unending nature are part of the reason they wanted to end the contact tracing and quarantines. They have said in public meetings the last several months the policies are keeping what they call healthy children and staff out of the schools and away from education.

Those concerns were reflected in the joint resolution’s language, approved last month.

“It is becoming increasingly evident that this virus isn’t going away, and that we are going to have to learn to live with it in a way that doesn’t unreasonably risk our children’s education and mental health,” the joint resolution said in part.

This is not the first time the board has made changes to contact tracing and quarantine procedures. Earlier this school year, the board voted to stop having school staff take the lead on contact tracing and quarantines, saying it was the duty of the county’s health department. After a standoff with the state, the issue was resolved and a working agreement was made with the health department to handle the practice.

Tuesday night, board members said the policy change had the approval of Joyner. Spectrum News 1 has asked Union County to provide an update on Joyner's position regarding the contact tracing and quarantine policies ending.

The statement detailing declining cases, provided online from the county’s health department, did not contain an endorsement or critique of the board’s decision or planned motion.

A few minutes later, the board voted 8-1 again to keep masks optional in Union County schools through the next month. Kirkpatrick was the one vote against.