Colorado students, teachers, and school staff who are vaccinated won’t have to wear masks at school and won’t have to quarantine after COVID exposure, state health officials said in new guidance released for the 2021-22 school year.
Masks are recommended — but not required — for people who are not vaccinated, which currently includes all children under 12. School districts could choose to set stricter policies. The recommendation matches school guidance released earlier this month by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Masking is an especially critical strategy when a community is at higher risk of transmission,” state health officials wrote. “Schools should create an accepting environment for parents and students who choose to use masks even when they are not required.”
Some Colorado school districts have already announced they won’t require masks next year, while in others, officials said they were weighing their options and waiting for state guidance. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that everyone continue to wear masks in school settings to create more layers of protection.
Particularly significant for school operations, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment no longer recommends that people who are exposed to COVID in a classroom setting quarantine at all — provided they weren’t engaged in a higher risk activity like singing or contact sports and that their community has high vaccination…
