Non-schools that employ individuals who fall under the definition of faculty may obtain permission from the school districts they serve to participate in the weekly COVID-19 testing services that those school districts provide to their employees. School districts are encouraged, but not required, to give permission to employees of businesses that provide services to their schools to participate in the school district`s COVID-19 testing program. Administrators of education and ECE programmes should work with local health officials to take into account other local conditions and factors when deciding on the implementation of prevention strategies. School- and ECE-specific indicators, such as student and staff absenteeism or the presence of students or staff at risk of contracting COVID-19, can help with decision-making. Other community indicators that could be considered for decision-making on COVID-19 prevention include paediatric hospitalizations, wastewater monitoring results, or other local information. Schools and ECEs should develop mechanisms to ensure that people with COVID-19 isolate themselves from others and do not go to school until they have completed their isolation. Once isolation is over, people should wear a well-fitting mask or respirator close to others on day 10. Testing is not necessary to determine the end of isolation or mask use after a COVID-19 infection. However, users can use the test-based strategy described in the isolation guides to potentially shorten the time it takes to use masks after isolation.

If you use the test-based strategy, people should continue to wear a well-fitting mask or ventilator at school or ECE until the test criteria are met. People who are unable to wear a well-fitting mask or respirator should either self-isolate for 10 full days or follow the test-based strategy to determine when they can safely return to school or ECE without a mask and continue to self-isolate until the test criteria are met. If a person with COVID-19 has been in a school or ECE facility in the last 24 hours, the room must be cleaned and disinfected. For more information, see Cleaning and disinfecting your facility. Starting January 3, schools will distribute free COVID-19 rapid test kits to all students or staff who have COVID-like symptoms or who have been in a classroom where a positive case has been detected. Anyone who tests positive for a take-home test should report it immediately to school and begin self-isolate. All students, staff, and visitors must go through DOE medical screening to enter school buildings. In order for these students to enter the school building, no further evidence of a negative result is required. The CDC`s instructions for K-12 schools and this joint guide no longer recommend screening for fever and symptoms by school staff upon arrival at school.

Instead, it is always recommended to self-screen for COVID-19-like symptoms and other symptoms of common respiratory viruses and complaints before arriving at school grounds or boarding school transport. Mealtime is one of the riskiest areas of school. Masks are removed and eating and talking, usually with increased projection, can increase the risk of transmission. Physical distancing of 3 feet is recommended for students when eating or drinking. Given the risk of transmission in unvaccinated individuals during unmasking, removal of at least 6 feet is recommended for all unvaccinated individuals when eating and drinking, but is not necessary. It is recommended that districts and schools update procedures to require the wearing of a face mask on school grounds in accordance with the above regulations and to treat violations in the same way as other violations of the policy. Cohorts (or “pods”) are activities or classes that are grouped as much as possible during the school day to minimize exposure to other people in the school environment. When implementing cohorts, schools should keep them as static as possible by keeping the same group of students with the same teachers or staff (all day for young children and as much as possible for older children).

If additional space is needed to support the cohort, you should consider all available safe rooms in schools and community facilities. Limit mixing between cohorts. Students and staff in the same cohort who are not fully vaccinated should continue to wear masks at all times, unless otherwise specified in this guide. “The current conditions of this pandemic are very different from the last two years,” Greta Massetti, a senior epidemiologist at the CDC`s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, said in a phone call with reporters Thursday. In addition, the following COVID-19 prevention strategies, as described in these guidelines, remain essential to protect students and community members who are not fully vaccinated, particularly in areas with moderate to high transmission rates in the community, and to ensure safe in-person instruction. Schools should implement these other prevention strategies at multiple levels as much as possible, taking into account factors such as community transmission, vaccination coverage, testing, and outbreaks that meet CDC guidelines. Respiratory etiquette should be taught and reinforced frequently. Respiratory etiquette practices include masking the nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, removing used tissue from a trash can, and immediate hand washing.

If you wear a mask, turn away from others and cough/sneeze into the elbow.