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CDC school guidance update recommends layered prevention methods, mask-wearing indoors for people not fully vaccinated

Staff photo by Troy Stolt / McCallie School Headmaster Lee burns, left, and McCallie seniors Jaden Long, center, and Derek Fu, right, both McCallie students from Shanghai, China, put on medical gloves at Parkridge Medical Center's main campus located at 2333 McCallie Ave. before donating over 2,000 face masks and n95 masks to the hospital on Friday, April 10, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The masks were donated by families of students from China who attend McCallie School.
Staff photo by Troy Stolt / McCallie School Headmaster Lee burns, left, and McCallie seniors Jaden Long, center, and Derek Fu, right, both McCallie students from Shanghai, China, put on medical gloves at Parkridge Medical Center's main campus located at 2333 McCallie Ave. before donating over 2,000 face masks and n95 masks to the hospital on Friday, April 10, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The masks were donated by families of students from China who attend McCallie School. Staff photo by Troy Stolt / McCallie School Headmaster Lee burns, left, and McCallie seniors Jaden Long, center, and Derek Fu, right, both McCallie students from Shanghai, China, put on medical gloves at Parkridge Medical Center's main campus located at 2333 McCallie Ave. before donating over 2,000 face masks and n95 masks to the hospital on Friday, April 10, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The masks were donated by families of students from China who attend McCallie School.

By Anika Chaturvedi 2 min read

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated school reopening recommendations Friday, suggesting that schools layer COVID-19 prevention strategies like social distancing, handwashing and ventilation to reopen safely.

The guidance prioritizes fully reopening schools this fall, a goal shared by Hamilton County Schools and other districts in the Chattanooga area.

Hamilton County Schools ended its mask requirement for students and staff on June 1, following May’s lengthy school board meeting that drew protesters against required masking for students. Hamilton County Schools campuses remained open for about 90% of last school year, and its hybrid option, HCS at Home, will not continue into next year.

Beyond masks, the guidance provides information about vaccinations. The CDC recommends children aged 12 and older take the vaccine, and the Tennessee Department of Health approved use of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 12-15 in May.

Since then, private schools and public school districts have encouraged vaccination and held vaccination events on campus in the spring. Hamilton County Schools held its first vaccination event on May 5 in partnership with Thrifty MedPlus Pharmacy, while Baylor School and McCallie School started partnering with Access Pharmacy to vaccinate students in April.