ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in schools on Aug. 21.

“Everyone’s goal is to prioritize the reopening of schools as safely and as quickly as possible given the many known and established benefits of in-person learning. In order to enable this and assist schools with their day-to-day operations, it is important to adopt and diligently implement actions to slow the spread of COVID-19 inside the school and out in the community. Vigilance to these actions will moderate the risk of in-school transmission regardless of the underlying community burden — with risk being the lowest if community transmission is low and there is fidelity to implementing proven mitigation strategies,” the CDC report states.

Recommendations include:
• The most important actions for school administrators to take before reopening in-person services and facilities are planning and preparing. To best prepare, schools should expect that students, teachers or staff may contract symptoms consistent with COVID-19, and schools must know what to do when this happens. Regardless of the number of cases in a community, every school should have a plan in place to protect staff, children and their families from the spread of COVID-19 and a response plan in place for if/when a student, teacher or staff member tests positive for COVID-19. This plan should be developed in collaboration with state and local public health departments; school nurses, parents, caregivers and guardians; student leaders; community members; and other relevant partners. Schools should prioritize Emergency Operating Plan components that address infectious disease outbreaks and their consequences.

• Staying home when appropriate: Educate staff and families about when they/their child(ren) should stay home and when they can return to school. Actively encourage employees and students who are sick or who have recently had close contact (less than 6 feet for 15 minutes or more) with a person who has COVID-19 to stay home. Staff and students should stay home if they have tested positive for or are showing COVID-19 symptoms. Staff and students who have recently had close contact with a person with COVID-19 should also stay home and monitor their health.

• Teach and reinforce handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and increase monitoring to ensure adherence among students and staff. If soap and water are not readily available, hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol can be used (for staff and older children who can safely use hand sanitizer).

• Encourage staff and students to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Used tissues should be thrown in the trash and hands washed immediately with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• Teach and reinforce use of cloth face coverings or masks. The use of cloth face coverings or masks is one of many important mitigation strategies to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Cloth face coverings or masks are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected but does not have symptoms. Appropriate and consistent use of cloth face coverings or masks is most important when students, teachers and staff are indoors and when social distancing is difficult to implement or maintain. Individuals should be frequently reminded not to touch the face covering or mask.

• Support healthy hygiene behaviors by providing adequate supplies, including soap and water, hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol (for staff and older children who can safely use hand sanitizer), paper towels, tissues, disinfectant wipes, cloth face coverings (as feasible) and no-touch/foot-pedal trash cans.

• Post signs in highly visible locations (e.g., school entrances, restrooms) that promote everyday protective measures and describe how to stop the spread of germs.