State changes COVID-19 safety guidelines for schools
(The Center Square) – The 6-foot social distance guideline for Illinois schools has been cut in half.
The Illinois State Board of Education has made some changes to COVID-19 safety guidelines for schools. The revised guidance for schools was prompted by the Centers for Disease Control’s recently updated guidance that underscores that schools are “an important part of community infrastructure.”
In a statement, the ISBE said in-person classroom instruction should be a priority over extracurricular activities including sporting and school events to minimize the transmission of the virus at school.
The board revised its social distancing recommendations for in-person learning, which is now can be as little at 3 feet for students and vaccinated staff. Unvaccinated staff should maintain a 6-foot social distance as much as possible since adults remain more susceptible to infection than children.
Teachers and support staff are part of Phase 1B of the vaccination schedule, which is currently ongoing.
During an event in Champaign on Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said it will ultimately be up to school districts to work out the details.
“What we’ve done is let the school districts themselves look at what they have available in terms of safety within the school buildings, so they can determine how to safely bring more kids back into school,” Pritzker said.
The Illinois Department of Public Health and the CDC are no longer recommending symptom screenings on school grounds, but the ISBE said districts can choose to continue the practice.
The ISBE said regardless of the level of a district’s community transmission, all schools must use PPE, including face masks, and require tracing in combination with the isolation of those with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square
