Coronavirus USA: requirements for California schools reopening
California is trying to design a safe plan so children can go back to school this year as the “Golden State” sees a spike in new Covid-19 cases.
President Donald Trump has been pressuring the governors from different states to reopen the school districts before the beginning of the fall semester. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that school districts on the Covid-19 watch list cannot physically reopen classrooms this fall semester.
"Learning in the state of California is simply non-negotiable that schools must, and I underscore must, provide a meaningful instruction during this pandemic whether they are physically opened or not," Newsom said.
This are the requirements for schools to reopen en California
- The country must be off the state’s monitoring list for 14 days in a row.
- Masks are required for teachers and students third grade and above, and second grade and below are strongly encouraged to wear masks or face shields.
- Staff must maintain at least six feet between each other and students.
- Symptom checks will take place at the start of the day and hand washing stations, sanitation, disinfection and quarantine protocols will be required.
- There will be regular testing of staff and state contact tracing for those who test positive.
- Distance learning must be available to all students equally.
The governor also gave guidelines for closing schools. He said if five percent of a school tests positive it must close, and when 25 percent of schools in one district close within a two-week period, the whole district must shut down. If there is a confirmed case, a whole classroom will go home.