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 It’s no longer six feet, it’s only three feet of separation
needed to avoid COVID-19 infection for Illinois students and vaccinated teachers
returning to the classroom.
That is according to revised guidelines released by the Illinois State Board of
Education in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Public Health.
But the new guidance rankled the Chicago Teachers Union, with Vice President
Stacy Davis Gates tweeting: “To all the critics who failed to understand *why*
@CTULocal1 worked hard to establish standards and memorialize guidance that
keeps ppl safe in our agreement — read how *flexible* it all becomes when
flouting *guidance* is NO longer a red state phenomena.”
While the Illinois Department of Public Health cites the revisions as necessary
for a rapid return to in-person learning and based the new standard on guidance
from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the union said it
violates “basic and vital safety protection.”
The union’s school reopening agreement was “built on” the six-foot distancing
guidance, CTU spokesperson Chris Geovanis said. He called it “a basic and vital
safety protection that we intend to continue to vigorously observe.”
The agreement reached between Chicago Public Schools and the CTU in February
established that social distancing should require “6-foot physical distance from
other persons as much as possible.” It was one of many issues in a protracted
negotiation that delayed plans to reopen Chicago schools and put the city on the
verge of another teacher strike.
The Revised Public Health Guidance for Schools was released March 10 by the ISBE
and IDPH following updated guidance from the CDC that stressed schools as “an
important part of community infrastructure.”
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The guidance for schools “reflects what we have
learned about the transmission of COVID-19 in school settings, as
more students in Illinois and across the country have returned
safely to in-person learning during the 2020-21 school year,”
Illinois State Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala stated.
“This joint guidance supports the return to in-person instruction as
soon as practicable in each community.”
The report revises initial recommendations on
requiring masks with at least two layers and no vents. It also
suspends the need for symptom screenings on school grounds and
redefines social distancing as three feet, with six feet preferred.
The revised school guidelines also:
maintain that if a student or staff member has a confirmed case of
COVID-19, anyone not vaccinated that has been within six feet of
that person for a total of 15 minutes over 24 hours will be required
to quarantine.
state in-person instruction “should be prioritized over
extracurricular activities, including sports and school events, to
minimize risk of transmission in schools and protect in-person
learning.”
set capacity limits for schools, including during lunchtimes and
other “nonacademic” activities that “are now determined by the
space’s ability to accommodate social distancing, and not a set
capacity limit number or percentage. Bus capacity remains at no more
than 50 people per bus.”
recommend decisions on holding events outside of schools, “such as
open houses, registration, prom, graduation ceremonies, and other
extracurricular events, will remain at the discretion of local
school boards and superintendents, in consultation with local public
health departments.” These events are still expected to follow
safety protocols and current distancing standards.
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