The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) today issued guidance for schools that supports in-person learning, urges vaccination for all who are eligible, and recommends masking for everyone over the age of two.
Recent guidance for schools from the CDC called for masking only for unvaccinated individuals, but in other respects the recommendations are largely similar. As in the CDC guidelines, the AAP calls for easily accessible COVID testing resources, ventilation, quarantining, cleaning, and for strategies to be adapted depending on test positivity rates in a given community.
The AAP guidelines also call for all-encompassing mental health supports and urge districts to “promote racial/ethnic and social justice by promoting the well-being of all children in any school COVID-19 plan.”
“Our priority must be the safety and security of all students and staff in our school buildings,” said CEA President Kate Dias. “Policies for schools must be consistent with health guidance, and schools must follow the most up-to-the-minute guidelines from the CDC.”
She continued, “We’re seeing an uptick in the Delta variant, and, as this is an evolving public health crisis, we must be prepared to adjust according to the data. Educators want nothing more than to be in our classrooms with our students and make sure they have a positive, engaging learning experience, but we always have to keep safety in mind. We look forward to continuing to work with the state Departments of Public Health and Education as well as other education stakeholders to ensure safe public schools for all students and staff.”
COVID infection and hospitalization rates in Connecticut are on the rise again, with the significantly more contagious Delta variant accounting for more than sixty percent of cases.
Governor Lamont has said that he is still evaluating Connecticut’s mask policy for schools this fall.
