The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Rochelle Walensky reassured parents that it will be safe to send their children back to schools after the winter break.
“If children are exposed, they can safely return to school, as long as they're getting a test every day, every other day, every third day,” Walensky said. “And we've demonstrated over the last month, new science that demonstrates that’s a very safe way to keep our children in school and that's really our goal. Of course, the most important thing we can do to keep our children safe is to get them vaccinated.”
The CDC recently lowered the number of days a person needs to isolate if they test positive for COVID-19 from 10 to five days if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving. Research has shown that the transmission of the virus occurs early on and ends soon after symptoms appear.
"We know that the most amount of transmission occurs in those one to two days before you develop symptoms (to) those two to three days after you develop symptoms," Walensky said.
People who were exposed to someone who tested positive don't need to quarantine if they are recently fully vaccinated or boosted and have no symptoms. The CDC recommends people in that situation to wear a mask around others for 10 days and try to get tested fives days after exposure.
Dr. Walensky went on to add that guidelines for adults are nearly the same as for children now.
“Our recommendations are true for both adults and for children,” Walensky said. “We do have really clear science now.”
The US Department of Education is asking school districts to take the proper safety measures so that in-person learning in classrooms can remain open for the rest of the school year, according to a new resource guide addressed to school leaders and obtained Monday by CNN.
"It is incredibly important that all schools work to remain open for in-person learning five days a week, especially in light of the Omicron variant," the guide said.
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