On February 12, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidance to help determine when a school district can offer in-person instruction, as part of President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14000: Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers. The CDC identifies four categories of community transmission of COVID-19 in a color-coded system based on two metrics: 1) total new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days and 2) percentage of positive diagnostic and screening viral tests that are nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), including reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests.

The CDC guidance does not supersede state laws or local guidance, and is intended to be used as a set of recommendations for school leaders to consider when developing reopening plans to keep schools open and safe for students, educators, and staff. Their guidance emphasizes the importance of using a combination of mitigation strategies to avoid COVID-19 transmission in schools, including:

  1. Universal and correct wearing of masks.
  2. Physical distancing.
  3. Handwashing and respiratory etiquette.
  4. Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including ventilation improvements.
  5. Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with State, local, territorial or Tribal health departments.

The CDC guidance also states that in addition to these key mitigation strategies, screening testing and prioritizing vaccinations for school staff can be layered steps to support reopening K-12 schools. Screening testing and vaccinations are not prerequisites for safe reopening if students and staff consistently implement the mitigations strategies listed above.

Use of CDC Community Transmission Thresholds

As a first step, CDC recommends analyzing the community data to determine appropriate in-person learning approaches, and created the following color-coded system:

Low (Blue) Levels: K-12 schools open for full in-person learning if they implement the previously listed five key mitigation strategies, including masking and, to the greatest extend possible, physical distancing of 6 feet or more. Sports and extracurricular activities can occur with physical distancing of 6 feet or more to the greatest extent possible. For additional information on extracurricular and sports activity, see the USDE COVID-19 Handbook Volume 1: Safety Considerations Related to Extracurricular Activities and Athletics Program (pages 18-20).

Moderate (Yellow) Levels: K-12 schools open for full in-person learning if they implement the previously listed five key mitigation strategies, including masking and, to the greatest extent possible, physical distancing of 6 feet or more required. Sports and extracurricular activities should only occur in person if physical distancing of 6 feet or more required. For additional information on extracurricular and sports activity, see the USDE COVID-19 Handbook Volume 1: Safety Considerations Related to Extracurricular Activities and Athletics Program (pages 18-20).

Substantial (Orange) Levels: K-12 schools open for hybrid learning or reduced attendance if they implement the previously listed five key mitigation strategies, including masking and physical distancing of 6 feet or more required. Sports and extracurricular activities should only occur if they can be held outdoors with masks and physical distancing of 6 feet or more required. For additional information on extracurricular and sports activity, see the USDE COVID-19 Handbook Volume 1: Safety Considerations Related to Extracurricular Activities and Athletics Program (pages 18-20).

High (Red Levels):

  • WITH screening testing in place: K-12 schools open for hybrid learning or reduced attendance with strict adherence to mitigation strategies, including masking. Physical distancing of 6 feet or more should be required. Sports and extracurricular activities should be postponed or held virtually.
  • WITHOUT screening testing in place:
    • Elementary schools open for hybrid learning or reduced attendance with strict adherence to mitigation strategies, including masking. Physical distancing of 6 feet or more required.
    • Middle and high schools in virtual only instruction unless they can strictly implement all mitigation strategies and have few cases among students, teachers, and/or staff. Schools that are already open for in-person instruction can remain open, but only if they strictly implement mitigation strategies, including masking, and have few cases. Physical distancing of 6 feet or more required.
    • K-12 sports and extracurricular activities should be postponed or held virtually.

*California Department of Public Health (CDPH) COVID-19 community transmission in the white boxes

The positivity rate in the matrix excludes people in state and federal prisons, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, US Marshal detention facilities, and Department of State Hospitals facilities.

*Small counties (those with a population less than 106,000) may be subject to alternate case assessments for purposes of tier assignment.

**Health equity metric is not applied for small counties. The health equity metric is used to move to a less restrictive tier.

**Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 community transmission in the gray boxes

1) Levels of community transmission defined as total new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days and 2) Levels of community transmission defined as total new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days and percentages of positive test in the past 7 days

COVID-19 Testing

CDC states that when schools implement testing combined with mitigation, they can detect new cases to prevent outbreaks, reduce the risk of further transmission, and protect students, teachers, and staff from COVID-19.

  • Diagnostic testing: At all levels of community transmission, schools should offer referrals to diagnostic testing to any student, teacher, or staff member who is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 at school or who is a close contact of a person who tested positive.
  • Screening testing: Some schools may also elect to use screening testing as a strategy to identify cases and prevent secondary transmission. Weekly screening testing can be used as an additional layer of mitigation to complement mitigation strategies in schools.

Vaccines

CDC states that teachers and school staff hold jobs critical to the continued functioning of society and are at potential occupational risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2. To support safe schools reopening, state, territorial, local, and Tribal (STLT) officials should consider giving high priority to teachers in early phases of vaccine distribution.

Their guidance also states that access to vaccination should nevertheless not be considered a condition for reopening schools for in-person instruction. Even after teachers and staff are vaccinated, schools need to continue mitigation measures for the foreseeable future, including requiring masks in schools and social distancing.

CDPH Safe Schools Reopening Map

On February 12, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state has launched the Safe Schools for All Plan’s Reopening Map, an online tool that provides a statewide snapshot of the reopening status of schools across the state.

On February 16, 2021, the CDPH released a CDC-California K-12 School Guidance Crosswalk between the CDPH and CDC guidance and terminology, to facilitate the understanding of the latest federal recommendations.

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