THE Biden administration guidelines for school reopening, it is expected to include recommendations for phased reopening based on community transmission rates, according to an internal summary draft from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention obtained by CBS News on Thursday.
This phased approach to reopening provides recommendations for types of instruction for K-12 schools, divided into four color-coded “zones” – fully face-to-face, hybrid, with reduced frequency and only virtual.
The summary of the guidance obtained by CBS News does not stipulate the diffusion rates of the community that determine who qualifies for each zone.
K-12 schools are in the “Blue” zone if they have low dissemination in the community and in the “Yellow” zone, with moderate transmission. The Blue and Yellow Zones are recommended to allow a reopening with full face-to-face learning, with the greatest possible social distance. Schools in the “Orange” zone, classified as having substantial transmission, are recommended to have hybrid or reduced frequency education, with mandatory social distance.
Schools in the “red” zone are divided into two categories: those that conduct regular screening tests for asymptomatic employees and students and those that do not. Schools in the “red” zone that do not take the test must have hybrid learning or reduced attendance with mandatory physical distance only in elementary schools; elementary and high schools should be virtual only. Schools that perform the screening test may have hybrid learning or reduced attendance for all elementary, middle and high schools, with mandatory social distance, according to the draft summary of the guidelines.
Several officials told CBS News that these guidelines are still being finalized and may change. Additional details can also be added to the final guidance.
For all levels of transmission in the community, it is necessary to wear a universal mask and test symptomatic individuals and their close contacts.
As CBS News previously reported, the guidelines will also focus on five mitigation strategies: Universal masking; social distancing; hand washing and respiratory label; cleaning and ventilation facilities and contact tracking, isolation and quarantine protocols. These practices are expected to be carried out regardless of community transmission rates.
If schools implement these mitigation measures, access to vaccination should not be a precondition for schools to reopen, says the draft guidance, which is in line with recent statements by CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. However, the guidance project emphasizes that teachers should be prioritized for vaccines and that, once educators are vaccinated, schools should continue to implement these mitigation practices.
Most states have made some or all of the teachers eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine, according to Education Week.
The orientation project stipulates a social distance of 6 feet in schools. Some health officials, including a group from the Harvard School of Public Health TH Chan, had previously argued that one meter of social distance could be used for younger students.
The CDC must also state that school instruction should be prioritized over extracurricular activities and sports, regardless of the degree of test measures implemented in schools. Color-coded “zones” will also be applied to these extracurricular activities, according to the guidance project.
The guidelines are expected to address equity concerns and recommend that funding be directed to address disparities in low-resource communities, including the implementation of costly mitigation measures, such as reforming ventilation systems, improving learning gaps digitalization and prioritization of vaccines and tests.
Accommodation for “high-risk” educators, including those with high-risk family members, may include additional virtual education, changing work requirements or adopting flexible hours. Continuous virtual learning should be provided as an option for students with health problems, says the guidance project.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday that Walensky and his team will present the final guidelines to the public on Friday, an announcement that is expected in the early afternoon, according to two people familiar with the flat.
The White House and the CDC have so far declined to comment on the draft guidelines.
The Department of Education “soon after” is to advise on the “practical application” of the CDC guidelines, according to an email from the Department of Education reported by CBS News earlier this week.
The following guidelines are expected to address how to use funds allocated to schools and state and local governments to make schools more secure.
The Biden government used school reopening to emphasize the importance of spending its $ 1.9 trillion “American Rescue “COVID-19 rescue package, which includes hundreds of billions of dollars in direct financial assistance to schools, as well as state and local aid funds to pay for additional school security measures.
Biden’s current goal is to see “most K-8 schools open safely within 100 days”. Psaki explained on Tuesday that his goal is for the simple majority of schools with teachers teaching “at least one day a week” until the 100th day of the Biden government, which is April 30.
Asked to clarify that goal on Thursday, Psaki said “we certainly hope to build on that, even in 100 days, and from there … the president’s goal is that all schools reopen, remain open, open for 5 days by week for children to learn, that’s what our focus is on. “
But many schools have reopened before guidance from CDC and additional federal funding for mitigation measures. Sixty-four percent of elementary and high school students are already seeing some face-to-face instruction, according to the latest data from Burbio’s School Opening Tracker, reported by CBS News on Tuesday.
High school students are not included in Biden’s reopening goal.