Children as young as two and caretakers in early education settings are asked to wear masks and split into small groups to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Even after child care providers and staff are vaccinated, there will be a need to continue prevention measures for the foreseeable future including wearing masks, physical distancing, and other important prevention strategies,” the CDC said Friday.
PHYSICIANS IN FAVOR OF REOPENING SCHOOLS SAY CDC IMPROPERLY CITED THEIR STUDY
The updated guidelines said that children age two and older should wear masks at all times indoors and outdoors except when eating and sleeping. Educators should install physical barriers such as sneeze guards for situations in which students cannot maintain physical distance, and they should be split into small groups to limit opportunities for viruses to spread.
Childcare centers should also improve ventilation by opening doors and windows when possible, frequently sanitizing communal areas, and ensuring that providers are prepared to help disabled children maintain social distancing measures. The guidance also recommended people keep a 6-foot distance among themselves, despite evidence suggesting that maintaining 3 feet of distance between students is adequate to protect teachers and students from infection.
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The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan signed into law last Thursday included billions of dollars to stabilize the childcare industry. The package included $24 billion in emergency funding to childcare providers, $15 billion for child-development block grants, and $1 billion for the Head Start early education program.
Young children can be infected with the coronavirus, but illness is usually mild and sometimes without any symptoms. Pfizer and Moderna are already testing their vaccines in children, while Johnson & Johnson plans to begin trials in infants soon. Still, children probably will not be eligible to get vaccinated until the fall or early 2022, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert.
