North Bay and North Coast County Superintendents Announce Support of School Campus Reopening for Fall 2021
On Monday, county superintendents of schools and public health officers from Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma signaled their support for full in-person instructional programs in classrooms for all grades in the fall with the continued use of face coverings and other COVID-19 mitigation strategies, if indicated by state and local health authorities at the time. County superintendents are reaffirming this position as the state reopens its economy and numerous county health officers signal their support for full-time, in-person learning as well.
Superintendents urged the schools and districts they serve to continue planning for how best to implement full-time, in-person learning in the fall. They committed to working alongside local educators and providing needed training and support to ensure that the fall reopening of schools is as successful as possible.
During the pandemic, county offices of education established close working relationships with their county health officers and health departments. These relationships will be continued through the summer and into the fall, providing a strong foundation for a safe, science-based return to full-time in-person instruction.
Public health researchers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the California Department of Public Health, and local health departments have learned from the research and the experiences of classroom instruction from the fall of 2020 through the spring of 2021. Data now show that risk of transmission among children is relatively low, particularly when paired with high community vaccination rates, indoor masking, and other safety measures.
Throughout the state, many factors indicate that the risk of classroom transmission has decreased as community case rates have fallen. Additionally, each charter school and school district has worked hard to prepare a COVID-19 safety plan approved by the county health department and based on the best guidance of state health experts. Schools are well positioned to adapt these plans for fall instruction based on the latest guidance for schools. Additional guidance is expected to be provided by the Centers for Disease Control and California Department of Public Health this summer based on changing conditions, and schools will work closely with their county health departments to adapt to any changes in guidelines.
The current guidance for schools is based on evidence from the CDC that show vaccines are extremely effective in protecting vaccinated individuals from infection, severe illness, and death, as well as preventing them from spreading COVID-19 to others. We will continue to urge all eligible children and adults to take advantage of the widespread availability of vaccines. Increasing vaccination rates also helps mitigate the spread of new variants that are more likely to infect those who are unvaccinated. All persons aged 12 and older are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, and by fall it is anticipated that younger children may become eligible as well.
The governor has announced plans to end the tier system on June 15 and fully reopen California’s economy, as long as vaccine supply remains sufficient to meet demand and hospitalization rates are stable and low. COVID-19 vaccines are safe, free and effective, and are now available to everyone aged 12 and up. Visit www.mendocinocounty.org/community/novel-coronavirus to learn more about COVID-19 and how to get vaccinated in Mendocino County.