State updates COVID-19 guidelines for schools
COLORADO (KRDO) -- The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment updated statewide COVID-19 precautions for schools.
Following the CDC's guidance update on Tuesday, CDPHE recommends local public health agencies and school districts consider either mask requirements for all unvaccinated individuals or a masking requirement for all individuals in schools. Particularly in higher-risk counties.
The CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.
Friday evening, the CDPD updated the practical guide for operationalizing school guidance to reflect CDC's new guidelines on masking in schools.
The new guidance is not a statewide requirement. Local public health leaders still have the authority to make public health orders. Still, the state strongly recommends local leaders and school leaders take a "layered" approach to prevent the spreading of COVID-19.
In communities with low vaccination rates and high rates of community transmission, the state recommends:
- Masking
- Increased Physical distancing
- Serial COVID-19 testing
- Contact tracing
- Targeted quarantining
- Limiting high risk activities
Communities are considered higher risk if:
- The vaccination rate is under 70% among individuals age 12 and older
- The school has a vaccination rate under 70% among staff and students age 12 and older
- The transmission rate is above 35 cases per 100,000 people over a seven-dau period
CDPHE recommends guidance for:
- K-12 schools, both public and private
- Licensed child care settings
- Home-based family child care settings
- License-exempt child care programs such as single skill building and 72-hour camps
- Guest child care facilities at ski resorts and courthouses
- "Pods" and other home learning/homeschooling groups
For more information on the updated guidance, click here.
