Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Jun 21, 2025

Top US Health Body Says Schools Can Re-Open, Issues Covid Guidelines

Top US Health Body Says Schools Can Re-Open, Issues Covid Guidelines

The strategy emphasizes universal masking, handwashing, and disinfection, as well as contact tracing, but spent relatively little time on the subject of ventilation, despite this being the virus' main transmission route.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday issued new guidelines urging schools to reopen safely and as soon as possible, while offering a detailed plan for limiting the spread of Covid-19.

The strategy emphasizes universal masking, handwashing, and disinfection, as well as contact tracing, but spent relatively little time on the subject of ventilation, despite this being the virus' main transmission route.

While it recommends vaccination for teachers and staff as soon as supply is available, it stops short of saying it is necessary -- a divisive issue among teachers' unions.

"CDC is releasing an operational strategy for K - 12 schools, through phased mitigation that provides a pathway to support schools in opening for in person instruction and remaining open," the agency's director Rochelle Walensky told reporters.

The document recommends different approaches depending on the level of community transmission in a given area, defined by the number of new cases per hundred thousand in the past seven days.

Because younger children are at lower risk than older children, it recommends that in areas of substantial transmission (50 to 99 new cases per 100k), middle and high schools should switch to hybrid learning.

Where transmission is defined as high (more than 100 new cases per 100k), middle and high schools should move to virtual instruction only unless the schools are already open, have few cases and are implementing mitigation strategies.

In-person learning is emphasized over sports and school events, and schools are strongly encouraged to use cohorting or podding to facilitate contact tracing.

In developing the plan, the CDC said equity considerations were a key driver.

"The absence of in-person educational options may disadvantage children from low-resourced communities, which may include large representation of racial and ethnic minority groups, English learners, and students with disabilities," the plan said.

During a briefing call, Walensky said that while children can become infected with the coronavirus and contract Covid-19, "less than 10 percent of Covid-19 cases in the US have been among children and adolescents between the ages of five and 17."

What's more, children and adolescents are thought to be less commonly infected with the virus than adults, and in-person learning in schools has not been associated with substantial community transmission.

"Students are not the primary sources of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 among adults in school settings," she said.

"Evidence suggests that staff to staff transmission is more common than transmissions from students to staff, staff to students, or students to students."

It remains to be seen how powerful teachers unions in major cities respond to the guidelines.

Schools in politically liberal parts of the country have been more reluctant to open than in areas that are politically conservative.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
×