CDC Guidelines For Reopening Schools (Patch)
The CDC has released recommendations for resuming school activities.
Federal health officials have released recommendations for reopening schools amid the coronavirus outbreak, including keeping desks 6 feet apart, canceling field trips, shuttering cafeterias, and intensifying disinfection of everything from door handles to drinking fountains.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week unveiled a gradual three-step system and numerous tips and tricks for schools that are preparing to reopen. The suggestions were included as part of a broader reopening roadmap, a 60-page document titled, "CDC Activities and Initiatives Supporting the COVID-19 Response and the President's Plan for Opening America Up Again."
Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered New York school buildings closed to students for the remainder of the school year. All nonessential state workers were also told not to come to work through May 31.
Earlier this month, Cuomo said a group of educators, students, parents and education leaders — collectively known as New York's Reimagine Education Advisory Council — would help school districts "reimagine" schools as they prepare to reopen. The group would specifically look at how to reopen safely, use virtual learning to bridge the gap and supplement face-to-face education when schools reopen. The council was to collaborate with other experts and stakeholders including the state and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The CDC said communities with lower levels of virus spread can put in place the practices outlined below, as can areas that are confident their infection rate is genuinely low. This includes communities that have seen low transmission, have entered the later steps in the system. Any decision about following the guidelines should be made in coordination with local health officials and state and local authorities, the CDC said.
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