New CDC school guidelines amid coronavirus: 4 key things to know – SILive.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. As more school districts across the United States plan to bring back students to campus for in-person learning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released new guidance for schools reopening amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The CDC explained that its essential to decide when and under what conditions schools would open, in order to help protect students, teachers and staff, while also slowing the spread of COVID-19. But the agency added that its critical for schools to reopen safely and as soon as possible.

Heres a look at some highlights from the new CDC guidance.

What strategies should schools follow to reopen and stay open?

To enable schools to open and remain open, the CDC said its important to adopt and consistently implement actions to slow the spread of COVID-19, both in schools and in the community.

If community transmission is high, students and staff are more likely to come to school while infected, and COVID-19 can spread more easily in schools.

Mitigation strategies include: universal and correct use of masks; physical distancing; handwashing and respiratory etiquette; cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities; contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine.

When and how should schools reopen safely?

The CDC said the first step is to assess the level of community transmission when deciding when to reopen and stay open.

The guidance suggested elementary schools can continue in-person instruction even at high levels of community transmission, but virtual instruction is recommended for middle and high schools.

The highest level of transmission is determined two ways: when there are 100 or more virus cases per 100,00 people in the community over a seven-day period, or when 10% or more of the coronavirus tests in a community come pack positive over seven days.

Schools open for in-person instruction can decide to remain open even at high levels of community transmission, the CDC said but those decisions should be guided on school-specific factors, such as the number of cases among students, teachers and staff.

In communities with high levels of transmission, high prevalence of COVID-19 in the community could also result in many teacher and staff quarantines due to exposures in the community, limiting the ability of schools to safely remain open, the CDC stated.

Should there be high COVID-19 transmission in the community, there should be a classroom-first approach. Schools should prioritize in-person classroom instruction over extracurriculars such as sports and school events.

While vaccination shouldnt be a requirement to reopen, the CDC emphasized that state and local officials give high priority to teachers in the early phases of vaccine distribution. (AP, Getty photos)AP, Getty

Should all school staff be vaccinated to reopen schools?

According to the CDC guidance, access to vaccination shouldnt be considered a condition to reopen schools for in-person learning. Even after school staff members are vaccinated, schools need to continue safety measures for the foreseeable future.

While vaccination shouldnt be a requirement to reopen, the CDC emphasized that state and local officials give high priority to teachers in the early phases of vaccine distribution.

Vaccinating teachers and school staff can be considered one layer of mitigation and protection for staff and students. Strategies to minimize barriers to accessing vaccination for teachers and other front-line essential workers, such as vaccine clinics at or close to the place of work, are optimal, the CDC stated.

Is the guidance required by school districts to reopen?

School districts arent required to adopt these strategies. The guidance serves as recommendations for public and non-public schools.

Local and state agencies can choose to use the recommendations as part of their reopening strategies.

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New CDC school guidelines amid coronavirus: 4 key things to know - SILive.com