Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday released a set of guidelines as the United States is set to re-open schools to facilitate in-person learning. These guidelines say that wearing masks will not be mandatory for all the students and teachers who have got vaccinated against COVID-19. Children will return to physical learning after a year full of online classes and digital programmes.

“We’re at a new point in the pandemic that we’re all really excited about, and so it’s time to update the guidance,” said Erin Sauber-Schatz, who leads the CDC task force.

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The re-opening of schools is being pondered upon amid a national vaccination campaign in which children as young as 12 are eligible to get inoculated as well as a general decline in COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths in the US.

Here are the set of protocols issued by the CDC today.

Masks for unvaccinated individuals: The new CDC protocols calls for making masks necessary for teachers, students and staff members who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Physical or social distancing: According to CDC’s new guidelines, maintaining a safe physical distance from the other individual is still an advisable strategy and must be followed. The recommended distance is said to be 3 feet.

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Regular screening: These guidelines also promote the practice of screening or testing the individuals entering the school premises on a regular basis.

Improve ventilation: As it has been established that proper ventilation in a vicinity does not let virus droplets to remind in the enclosed area.

Additional recommendations

1- The CDC guidelines call for all the bus drivers and their passengers to wear a mask while traveling to school, even if they are vaccinated.

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2- Proof of vaccination is not necessary for staff members or students.

However, it must be noted that these guidelines aren’t mandatory to use but are mere recommendations and are expected to influence the country’s COVID management.