The age difference is because anything for kids under 5 is considered childcare and the health and safety standards are much higher. Many private schools ran into this issue last year because their preK falls under the childcare umbrella.

Well, that's just a dumb rule. I run a camp for kids ages 3-8 and, yes, some of the young 3's have a little more difficulty keeping their masks on, but in general there's about a 90% perfect mask-wearing all the time rate and the kids whose masks slip down or who get up from lunch to throw something away without putting their masks on (which we stop immediately) are anywhere in that age range. There's an almost 5-year-old who is awful at keeping it on and a 6-year-old who was explaining to me what his parents told him about not needing to wear a mask. Of course, he and the parents all got Covid and gave it to 2 of our teachers (this was months ago -- we ran camp continuously from last summer to now). Anyway, kids are better at wearing masks than many adults!

If your 5 year old is in a group with any children under 5 any COVID exposure will require your 5 year old to quarantine for 14 days no test out - per MD.

In contrast to if your 5 year old is cohorted in a group containing only children 5 and up, any exposure quarantine will be 7 days (assuming a negative test on day 5 or after) or 10 days (no test). You have to monitor symptoms in all cases for 14 days.

I wish I’d put my 5 yo in a camp only cohorted with 5s.

I do think MD needs to refine this guidance to specify the 14 day quarantine relates to those with ages that cannot wear masks as that is the intent, but right now it is age-based.

My 5 yo and the neighbor’s 7 year old are both quarantined from camp and I learned of this disparity since he can return to camp a whole week before her - its the existence of the 4 year olds in her group that disqualifies her return.