The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) is providing this statement in response to the March 19, 2021 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) K-12 School Operational Strategy update that includes recommendations for physical distancing in classrooms based on grade level and level of community COVID-19 transmission.
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) established reopening guidance for p-12 schools in summer 2020. School districts and schools are responsible for policies and practices that align with that guidance. NYSED and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) are the agencies with the authority to make changes to that guidance.
Using the CDC metrics for low, moderate, substantial or high transmission, Erie County currently falls within the high transmission category (~190 new confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days). If New York State decides that schools can implement the updated CDC recommendations, middle schools and high schools in areas of high transmission that cannot cohort students should still follow the six-foot-distance guidance in classrooms. For more information, please review the CDC guidance at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/operation-strategy.html.
CDC, Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Prevention
Parents or school staff with questions about in-person learning within p-12 schools should contact NYSED or NYSDOH.
