New York State Department of Education Reopening Guidance For Schools

New York State Department of Education officials released reopening guidance for schools. Here are some of the keys points.

– The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status and community transmission levels.

– Masks are recommended for school events and athletics while indoors, per the CDC.

– The CDC recommends that schools maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms, combined with indoor mask wearing, to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. When it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of at least 3 feet, such as when schools cannot fully re-open while maintaining these distances, it is important to layer multiple other prevention strategies, such as cohorting.

– A distance of at least 6 feet is recommended between students and teachers/staff, and between teachers/staff who are not fully vaccinated.

– Physical distancing is not required on school buses.

– The CDC states that, permitting large groups of students to eat in the cafeteria should be based on community transmission rates.

– The CDC no longer recommends temperature screenings or screening questionnaires at school.

– According to the CDC, people who are fully vaccinated do NOT need to quarantine after contact with someone who had COVID-19 unless they have symptoms. However, fully vaccinated people should get tested 3-5 days after their exposure, even if they do not have symptoms, and wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until their test result is negative.

– So long as allowed by public health officials, schools should be open for in-person teaching and learning, and students should be in school.

– In case of school closures due to a declared public health emergency, schools must be prepared to provide remote instruction. Click Here To Read More.

Source: RochesterFirst.com