With approximately two months of the new school year behind us, Pennsylvania schools are still dealing with the uncertainty of potential COVID-19 infections. Many schools are slowly phasing in a return to full, face-to-face instruction, while others are shutting down due to positive results and community spread. We have heard from many members that they are exhausted from teaching both in-person and remotely. Others are concerned about the risk of being infected by the virus or taking it home to their family. Mostly, it’s a combination of both. Flexibility and compassion are two things that will help get the entire education community through this challenging time.
To add more confusion to an already tenuous situation, the Center for Disease Control has adjusted their definition of “close contact.” The CDC now defines “close contact” as anyone who was within six feet of someone infected for a total of 15 minutes in a 24-hour period. The previous definition was someone who was close to an infected person for 15 consecutive minutes. The CDC also noted that students and school employees are still considered “close contacts” even if they are wearing a mask.
