CDC issues new COVID guidelines for schools
news@greenecountymessenger.com
As the new school year begins, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has relaxed its guidelines for COVID-19.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e in a stronger place today as a nation, with more tools 无毛视频� like vaccination, boosters, and treatments 无毛视频� to protect ourselves, and our communities, from severe illness from COVID-19,无毛视频� Dr. Greta Massetti, one of the authors of the CDC无毛视频檚 updated guidance, said in a statement. 无毛视频淭his guidance acknowledges that the pandemic is not over, but also helps us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives.无毛视频�
The new guidelines, released Thursday, mainly impact quarantining, social distancing, and testing.
One significant change in the CDC guidelines is that the agency is no longer advising students or staff members who are exposed to the virus to quarantine at home.
That will allow them to stay in the classroom even after an exposure, as long as they wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested after five days.
That goes for vaccinated and unvaccinated students and staff.
The new guidelines also dropped requirements to stay at least six feet away from other people, with the CDC noting that an estimated 95% of Americans have at least some kind of immunity to the coronavirus through infection or vaccination, or both.
The CDC has dropped its cohorting recommendation, which called for students in different classrooms to avoid mixing.
Additionally, the CDC eliminated its 无毛视频渢est-to-stay无毛视频� recommendation, which allowed students who were close contacts of a person with COVID to continue to attend school in-person if they had no symptoms and tested negative. With quarantining no longer advised, test-to-stay isn无毛视频檛 necessary, the CDC said.
The agency also said that schools should no longer conduct COVID-19 routine testing for asymptomatic or unexposed students. Instead, the CDC said, schools should focus on testing in response to an outbreak, high community spread, or high-risk activities at the school, such as proms, field trips, or large sports events.
One thing that did not change in the new CDC guidelines was its recommendations for how schools should handle community outbreaks and masking.
The guidance still suggests that schools located in communities experiencing high levels of spread should continue to require all school staff and employees to wear masks.
As of Monday, Washington, Greene, and Fayette counties are among 40 counties experiencing medium levels of COVID-19 transmission. Statewide, 10 counties are experiencing high levels of COVID-19 transmission, while 17 counties are in low transmission.
Dr. Jesse Wallace III, superintendent of Laurel Highlands School District, is hopeful that the CDC无毛视频檚 new guidelines indicate that school districts are slowly returning back to normal. He said the school district still prioritizes health and safety protocols.
无毛视频淭he truth of the matter is that COVID is still with us and there are people still getting sick, so we continue with our health and safety plan, which we address every six months,无毛视频� said Wallace. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 nice to know the six feet of social distancing is something they无毛视频檝e done away with, and quarantining for close contact is eliminated, but we无毛视频檙e doing everything we can to make sure our people feel safe.无毛视频�
Face masks are optional for the 2022-23 school year.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e ready to ready to continue, with a productive learning environment,无毛视频� said Wallace, noting the district will address learning gaps and social and emotional issues that arose during the pandemic. 无毛视频淚t helps, though, that the CDC recommendations help the community, students and staff feel like we无毛视频檙e one step closer to getting through this.无毛视频�
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten welcomed the CDC无毛视频檚 new safety guidelines.
无毛视频淓very educator and every parent starts every school year with great hope, and this year even more so. After two years of uncertainty and disruption, we need as normal a year as possible so we can focus like a laser on what kids need,无毛视频漵aid Weingarten. 无毛视频淐OVID-19 and other viruses are still with us, but with multiple prevention and treatment options available, now is not the time for new mandates. Instead, let无毛视频檚 ensure these tools are available and accessible: vaccines, testing and masks (and no stigma for those who mask).无毛视频�