CDC Expected To Ease School COVID Guidelines: What It Means In WA

WASHINGTON — Federal health authorities are expected to soon ease COVID-19 guidelines for schools, according to a new report.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could announce the changes in the coming days, CNN reported. The CDC is expected to ease guidelines that address screening for the virus, as well as social distancing recommendations.

Regular COVID-19 screening in schools will likely be de-emphasized and the new measures are expected to loosen quarantine guidelines for those exposed to the virus, according to a preview of the plan obtained by CNN. The agency also reportedly plans to de-emphasize the 6-foot social distancing rule.

Instead of consistent screenings in schools, the CDC will likely suggest that testing be based on COVID-19 community levels and on higher-risk settings, such as nursing homes and prisons. The proposed changes have been revealed to some educators and public health officials and haven’t been finalized, as they are still being discussed, according to the report.

If enacted, the changes Washington could see a shift in its current COVID-19 policies for schools.

The state's existing guidelines, last updated by the state Department of Health in March, include vaccination requirements for educators, mandatory isolation timelines for positive cases, notification protocols for potential exposures, outbreak monitoring and access to reliable testing.

The CDC did not comment on the report stating changes to COVID-19 guidelines were coming soon and offered Patch the following statement:

“The CDC is always evaluating our guidance as science changes and will update the public as it occurs.”

COVID-19 guidelines have varied widely even since 2020 when the pandemic began. Several states and local governments have since removed many or all restrictions.

In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law in March allowing parents to opt their children out of wearing masks at school, even in districts that mandate them. Local governments and schools in Texas and Florida have been barred from requiring masks since May 2021, when governors Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis signed executive orders in their respective states.

Conversely, employees and volunteers at public schools in Washington, D.C. are required to be vaccinated, with exceptions for religious beliefs or medical conditions. In California, school staff must be vaccinated or tested weekly for COVID-19.