KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Heath and Senior Services (DHSS) released guidance for schools in the state to reopen and operate as COVID-19 cases rise in the state due to the delta variant.
The guidance states school districts should prioritize finding ways to safely keep students in-person and should work with local health departments to find ways to do so.
According to the DHSS, vaccines are "currently the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic." Therefore school districts should find ways to promote the vaccines.
Since children younger than 12 aren't currently eligible for a vaccine, schools should implement layered prevention strategies.
The guidance released doesn't recommend schools in the state require masks for students.
Instead, it says schools should follow the latest guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which recommends masks be worn indoors by people older than 2 who aren't fully vaccinated.
All students, regardless of vaccine status, are required to wear masks on school buses per guidance from the CDC.
Students should also be spaced out at least 3 feet inside of classrooms, according to the guidance.
Schools should consistently monitor the transmission of COVID-19 cases in their areas when making decision on mitigation strategies.
