Navigating the Ethical Maze of School Safety: A TV Case Study
Hi, my name is Olivia. I have been a Joffe Safety Consultant for the last two and a half years while finishing my doctorate in public health, which...
Last Friday, CDC issued new mask guidance that revises the criteria by which communities - including schools - should consider wearing masks. The guidance is a significant shift from the previous risk assessment criteria - which focused on the total number of new cases and the rate of positive tests. In its updated indicators, CDC’s recommendations are based on hospitalization data to assess not only the community spread, but also weigh the severity of cases in making decisions about mitigation measures. The goal of this change is to focus on minimizing severe disease and ensure hospitals are able to continue providing standard care.
CDC lays out a system for assessing individual counties’ community level based on two criteria:
These are assessed differently depending on whether the county’s current level of new cases is above or below 200 new cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days.
This means if your school is located in a county with a new case rate of 0.2% or less (200 new cases per 100K population) in the past 7 days, as long as Covid hospital admissions and capacity remain in the “low” and “medium” category, masks are no longer universally recommended on campus. For schools in counties with a new case rate above 0.2% in the past 7 days, lower hospital admissions and capacity trigger a “high” level or risk, meaning mask recommendations would be applied more broadly.
These criteria are summarized in the following table on CDC’s website. To find out the levels and indicators for your county, use CDC’s interactive map.
Currently, more than 70 percent of the U.S. population is in an area with a “low” or “medium” COVID-19 community level, meaning in those counties masks are no longer universally recommended for the general public or in schools. Over the past week, we’ve seen states that have had consistent school mask mandates like California, Washington, and Colorado begin to lift them. And many counties and district boards within those states have been following suit.As you consider what makes sense for your school community, here are four important questions to ask:
Ultimately, you know your school and community best, and your team is the only one who can make the right decision for your school. We’re here to be partners if you need support in making that decision.
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