Richmond students who have tested positive for COVID-19 are being kept away from in-person learning for up to 21 days – at least a week longer than the 14 days that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends, the Free Press has been told.

Richmond Public Schools, though, has denied that any students exposed to the virus are kept out of school for three weeks and insists that any students that do go to quarantine receive instructional support.

“My child tested positive Sept. 20, and I was told not to bring him back until Oct. 11,” said one parent, who spoke only on condition of anonymity. “This was completely unexpected and is proving to be the longest three weeks of our lives. He’s already testing negative, but we’re still on hold.”

In a statement relayed by Sara Abubaker of the RPS media relations office, the school system reported that RPS is adhering to the following protocol: “Students who are positive are out for 10 days of isolation, and students who are exposed are out for 14 days of quarantine, following Virginia Department of Health and CDC guidelines.

“Both of these timeframes include weekends so no one is missing three weeks of school,” the statement continued. “RPS maintains an instructional continuity model, as well, that ensures students receive instruction virtually every day they are out.”

There is pressure for the RPS administration to consider shortening the quarantine period to seven to 10 days for those testing negative, options the CDC has spelled out.