CDC encourages schools to open for in-person learning

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging schools to open for in-person learning this fall, and said that fully vaccinated students and teachers do not need to wear masks indoors.

The updated CDC guidance eases recommendations for kindergarten through 12th grade, and comes as coronavirus vaccines have become widely available for anyone over the age of 12.

The CDC noted that while COVID-19 outbreaks have occurred in school settings, multiple studies have shown that school transmission rates are typically lower than — or similar to — community transmission levels when multiple prevention strategies are in place.

No proof: But the agency is not recommending that vaccines be required for all eligible students and teachers, and it is also not recommending how administrators can distinguish between who has been vaccinated and who has not. The administration has, for better or for worse, avoided wading into thorny issues around vaccine mandates or passports. That lack of guidance is likely going to pose implementation problems.

Patchwork rules: The guidance comes as some schools or states have already made decisions about the next year, since the school year starts for some districts in about a month. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) banned public schools from requiring masks, while California said it will continue to require masks in all K-12 schools for consistency’s sake.