Prioritize in-person learning, CDC says in updated guidance for schools

In updated guidance for K-12 schools, the CDC said returning to in-person instruction this fall is a priority “regardless of whether all of the prevention strategies can be implemented at the school.”

“For example, because of the importance of in-person learning, schools where not everyone is fully vaccinated should implement physical distancing to the extent possible within their structures (in addition to masking and other prevention strategies), but should not exclude students from in-person learning to keep a minimum distance requirement,” the CDC said.

The guidance, which was last updated in February, says anyone aged 2 years or older who is not fully vaccinated should wear masks indoors at all times, but that masks “in general” are not needed outdoors — for example, at recess. One exception is unvaccinated people in areas with high transmission, who “are encouraged to wear a mask in crowded outdoor settings or during activities that involve sustained close contact with other people who are not fully vaccinated,” the CDC said.

“When physical education activities or recess are held indoors, it is particularly important for people who are not fully vaccinated to wear masks and maximize distance, when possible,” it said.

Schools with children aged younger than 12 years who are unable to receive a COVID-19 vaccine yet should follow mitigation strategies outlined in past guidance.

The CDC said promoting vaccination can help schools safely return to in-person learning and extracurricular activities like sports.

Since March, the CDC has recommend that students maintain 3 feet of distance in classrooms. “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 especially important to layer multiple other prevention strategies, such as indoor masking,” the CDC said.

Other important layers of prevention include screening testing, ventilation, hand-washing, respiratory etiquette, staying home when sick and getting tested, contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation, and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, the CDC said.

Local governments and institutions should monitor all community transmission, vaccination coverage, screening testing and occurrences of outbreaks in order to guide decisions on the level of layered prevention strategies, it said.