Children exposed to peers who test positive for COVID-19 will no longer be quarantined in Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine announced on Wednesday.
“Because of the data we have now, we are changing our orientation and we no longer recommend students who have been exposed to another COVID + student quarantine – as long as all students are wearing masks and the exposure has taken place in a classroom setting , “DeWine tweeted on Wednesday afternoon.
He added, however, that students should still be quarantined if they are unable to maintain the mask or guidelines for social distance.
“At the end of the day, this is another step in keeping our kids in the classroom – which is where we want them to be,” he said.
Supporters of the reopening of schools in the midst of the pandemic have argued that keeping children at home is bad for their mental health, and several studies have supported this idea.
One of them, from the California Partners Project, found that the shutdowns were leaving teenagers struggling with social isolation and increasing watch time.
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Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said earlier this month that schools are not an important source of coronavirus transmission and has advocated more reopening.
“We now have substantial data showing that face-to-face learning in schools can be conducted in elementary and high school, safely and responsibly,” he said, adding that teachers and students were most likely to contract the virus outside the classroom. .
He also noted that face-to-face learning has positive effects on mental health and guarantees low-income students access to food programs.
And members of both parties were increasingly receptive to the idea of reopening schools.
President-elect Joe Biden said during a conference call with governors that schools should reopen in their first 100 days in office, as part of their plan for the coronavirus.
And outgoing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told Fox News earlier this month that prolonged closings are having “tragic” effects on children.
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“The bottom line is that schools need to reopen, especially for the most vulnerable children,” she told America’s Newsroom.
“We see this being done safely and without incidents or minimal incidents across the country,” she added later. “We will have a lost generation if we do not heed this continuous warning.”
Fox New’s David Rutz and Kayla Rivas contributed to this report.