MIAMI – Florida’s new surgeon general has enacted a new rule giving parents the control when it comes to when their student has been exposed to COVID-19.

Under previous guidelines in Florida, students who were exposed to COVID-19 had to quarantine. If the student was asymptomatic, they were allowed to return to school if they showed a negative test that was taken four days after they were exposed. They could also return after seven days if they continued to be asymptomatic.

However, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who was appointed as the new state Surgeon General on Tuesday, put into effect a rule that allows parents and guardians to choose if their child quarantines if they are asymptomatic.

“We’re going to be following a symptoms-based approach,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday. “If somebody is symptomatic, of course, they stay home if there’s a close contact.”

“But somebody who has not developed any symptoms, you monitor them, you notify the parent,” DeSantis added. “The parent always has the right to have their kid stay home if they think that’s in the best interest of the student and the family. But, if a parent has a healthy child, that child has a right to be in school, and that’s gonna make it so much better for so many folks, and I think that this is something that’s really been long overdue.”

Miami-Dade and Broward both continue to follow the previous guidelines.

Miami-Dade County Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district will look at the policy and see if they can reach a mutual agreement with the state.

7News has reached out to Dr. Rosalind Osgood with Broward Schools.

To read the policies on COVID-19 quarantine protocols for students in Miami-Dade, click here. For Broward, click here.