Schools across the country can reopen for in-person learning safely depending on how the coronavirus is spreading in their area, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. Federal health officials added that teachers and school staff don’t have to be vaccinated as an essential part of this reopening.
Built on studies showing that K-12 schools are “not a primary driver of community transmission,” the CDC's 33-page memo outlines a set of criteria for a safe return to classroom settings. The rules involve categorizing schools in four different zones based on local transmission rates and mitigation strategies.
Regardless of the level of spread, the CDC said every school should collaborate with their local health department to sketch out plans for “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."
Many of the guidelines are in play in the New York City public schools that are already open for in-person learning. After periodic restarts in the fall, NYC public schools switched to all-remote in November as positivity rates sharply increased.
In December, the city permitted in-person learning for 3K, Pre-K, elementary schools, and schools for students with disabilities, but middle and high schoolers have remained on full-time remote learning. Last month, a U.S. based study of nearly 3 million coronavirus cases in children reaffirmed other reports that adolescents are far more likely than younger kids to catch and spread the coronavirus. Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced that middle schools will reopen for some in-person learning on February 25th.
Vaccination of teachers and school staff could serve as another layer of protection for school communities, the CDC said, and states and cities should “minimize barriers” for school employees to receive immunizations. School districts should still plan to continue mitigation measures like masking and social distancing even after staffers are vaccinated.
A spokesperson for New York City’s United Federation of Teachers union referred questions to the American Federation of Teachers union, whose president Randi Weingarten has said vaccinations for teachers should be a priority for reopening schools.
“We are open, and believe our ability to be open rests on the safety and testing protocols we have, which are now reflected in the CDC guidelines,” said UFT spokesperson Alison Gendar in an email statement.
Meanwhile, the state-level United Teachers union backed the CDC's call for more robust testing to limit the spread of the virus in schools.
“Now that the CDC has reaffirmed what it takes to safely operate schools, the state and federal governments must provide the financial resources districts need to conduct comprehensive testing programs without having to sacrifice any of the COVID-related and routine academic supports,” said New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta in a statement.
In a statement, an NYC Department of Education spokesperson said the city's schools are the “gold standard” for safe in-person learning.
We’re proud many of our protections are now included as national CDC guidance. With a 0.55 positivity rate from weekly testing, we have successfully opened our Elementary and District 75 schools, and we look forward to welcoming our Middle School students later this month,” said Danielle Filson of the DOE.
Under the CDC’s four zones, schools in the blue “low transmission” zone have local positivity rates of less than 5% on a seven-day average. Yellow “moderate transmission” zone schools have 5-7.9% positivity rates over a seven-day average, orange “substantial transmission” zone schools have 8-9.9% positivity rates over a seven-day average, and red “high transmission” zone schools have more than 10% positivity rates over a seven day-average.
On Wednesday, New York City reported a seven-day rolling average of 8.48%.
Schools in the blue and yellow zones can have full, in-person instruction across all grades with distancing. Blue zone schools could have the option for sports and extracurriculars if social distancing were possible, while yellow zone schools may allow those activities with the required distancing of six feet or more.
Orange and red zone schools are advised to limit in-person learning to elementary grades in hybrid or reduced attendance. Middle and high schools would be under hybrid rules with required distancing in an orange zone, and virtual-only in red zone schools. Sports and other activities would be solely permitted outdoors with physical distancing in orange zone schools, while red zone schools would only have virtual activities.
As has been the case in New York City, school systems may face repeated shifts and closures, the CDC said, as cities continue to deal with outbreaks or strained healthcare systems.
And in what may be a sign of evolving messaging, the CDC also acknowledged that the support for reopening schools might differ for Black, Hispanic, Asian, and other non-white families, whose communities have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
“Understanding racial/ethnic differences in parental attitudes and concerns about school reopening can inform communication and mitigation strategies and highlights the importance of considering risks for severe COVID-19 and family resource needs when developing options for school attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the CDC said.
