With about a month until Illinois students start returning to classrooms, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just released its updated COVID-19 guidelines for schools, which were adopted July 9 by the Illinois Department of Public Health for K-12 schools.

The federal guidelines stress the importance of students returning to classrooms, and the Illinois state superintendent has declared mandatory, fully in-person learning for all students. The new recommendations slightly loosen some requirements – such as students wearing masks outdoors – for everyone and allow freedom from many COVID-19 restrictions for fully vaccinated students and staff. However, many restrictions still apply to unvaccinated members of school communities and will disappoint those who had urged relaxed rules for everyone.

Updated guidelines

1. Vaccination encouraged, not required

The CDC strongly encourages vaccination as the best way to protect against the spread of COVID-19. Current regulations allow vaccination for persons 12 and older, but there are no requirements from federal or Illinois state authorities that eligible students or school personnel be vaccinated.

2. Masks not required for vaccinated persons, but still required indoors for unvaccinated ones

The CDC states masks need not be worn indoors by vaccinated students, teachers or staff, but should be worn indoors by unvaccinated persons in schools.

Masks are not required for recess, as they generally need not be worn outdoors, regardless of whether a person is vaccinated. However, the CDC says in crowded places or in situations involving sustained close personal contact – particularly in areas with substantial transmission – unvaccinated people should wear masks outdoors as well.

Unvaccinated students playing sports indoors or close-contact sports outdoors should wear masks, although fully vaccinated students need not wear masks in these circumstances, according to the CDC.

Masks are still required for all people on school buses, regardless of vaccination status.

3. Physical distancing

Schools are encouraged to keep students in classrooms at least 3 feet apart; however, the CDC said this is not required if it would prevent schools from offering full-time, in-person learning to all students. Six feet of distance between unvaccinated adults and between adults and students is recommended.

4. Quarantining

Students and staff who are fully vaccinated are not required to quarantine after close contact with someone with COVID-19 in the absence of symptoms, nor are they required to undergo testing in such instances. Persons who are not fully vaccinated are still subject to quarantine requirements in cases of exposure. However, students who were exposed in a classroom setting are not subject to quarantine if: (1) they and the person with COVID-19 were all wearing masks and (2) there were other mitigation strategies in place, such as ventilation, physical distancing, etc.