County Health Department Sides With CDC On Mask-Wearing Guidance

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services recommends school districts follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on COVID-19 avoidance in schools.

The county released a statement August 9 that details the CDC’s recommendations, which were updated August 5.

“Given new evidence on the delta variant, the CDC has updated the guidance for fully vaccinated people. The CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status,” the center states in its update last Thursday. “Children should return to full-time, in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place.”

Nothing is mandated, so districts have the right to set their own policies. The governor’s office and New York State Department of Health decided not to provide any guidance for the reopening of schools, leaving health-related decisions up to local county health departments and school districts. Currently, the Sag Harbor and East Hampton school districts’ boards of education have voted to adopt the same policies that the CDC recommends. Westhampton Beach, Hampton Bays, Southampton, Bridgehampton and Springs have meetings scheduled for later this month, where decisions on reopening plans will be unveiled.

“We cannot go back to hybrid remote learning. It’s not the way,” East Hampton Superintendent Adam Fine said last Tuesday. “The risk of being in school in this is low, and the value of being in school outweighs everything. Too many kids have been adversely affected social-emotionally, their mental health has been damaged, their academic well-being has been adversely affected. There’s no way we should be going back to having kids at home. We should do everything in our power to avoid it.”

Springs Superintendent Debra Winter echoed this sentiment on Tuesday, adding 40 percent of parents nationally have reported mental health issues of teenage children have worsened.

“It takes just one student hurting. We know how seriously that can impact a family or a community,” Ms. Winter said. “The mental health of our students has to be a priority.”

At a July 26 Sag Harbor meeting, Superintendent Jeff Nichols said that in all likelihood students and teachers in the elementary and middle-high school will be masking up once again when they return to classrooms for the 2021-22 school year.

“The primary consideration is that vaccines still aren’t available to children 11 and under,” the superintendent said, adding that until the vaccine is approved for emergency use for children 5 to 11 years old, the “prudent thing to do” is require masks.

These prevention strategies, which were also backed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, urges university mask-wearing in schools, while masks being worn outside is not required.

“I don’t think there’s anyone who is saying that it’s recommended to not mask,” East End Pediatrics physician Dr. Gail Schonfeld said during Springs School’s August 9 Board of Education meeting. “The general philosophy is for whatever decrease in transmissions it causes, it’s a good thing, but up until now people have had a choice of in-person versus remote learning, and it’s about what you do about the people who refuse to wear a mask.”

The CDC recommends maintaining at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms, even during physical education and music. If students are engaged in singing or playing a wind instrument, at least 6 feet of distance between students is recommended. In physical education, the CDC says to ensure any contact due to activities is quick and not for extended periods of time.

CDC guidance also states that all students and adults must wear well-fitting masks while inside a bus, regardless of vaccination status, and that at least 3 feet of physical distance should be between non-household members as possible on a school bus. Ventilation, loading from the rear forward, and alternate window/aisle seating can also help reduce risk of transmission, the CDC states.

School districts must continue to report positive cases of COVID-19 to the county DOH. All individuals who test positive for the coronavirus must remain in isolation for 10 days from the date of symptom onset or test date if asymptomatic.

“Consistent with CDC guidance, students in the K-12 indoor classroom who are within at least 3 feet of an infected student with masking are excluded from the definition of close contact and not required to quarantine,” the county states, adding it concurs with CDC guidance which recommends that fully vaccinated persons who have come into close contact with someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be tested three to five days after exposure.

Close contacts of positive cases of COVID-19 that do not fall in the exception excluding those 3 to 6 feet from an infected student or staff member must quarantine for 10 days and monitor symptoms through the 14th day.

“It is recommended that schools continue to contact trace and notify families of potential exposure so they may monitor for symptoms closely 14 days from date of last exposure,” the county said. “Any student who begins to exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 should remain home and seek testing.”

School districts must continue to report positive cases to the DOH via its portal. Only those who are required to quarantine must be reported. Those exempt from the definition of close contact should be informed of exposure and should be monitored closely for symptoms for 14 days from date of last exposure.

At this time, periodic COVID-19 testing is not required by the county.

“SCDHS will monitor community transmission and revisit if warranted,” the Monday message reads. “Screening testing is a prevention strategy recommended by the CDC.”

There is also currently no requirement for vaccination, but mandates for staff may be decided by individual school districts. Suffolk officials, though, are asking districts to send an estimate of staff and student populations that are fully vaccinated.