TLCHD releases guidance as schools prepare to return for new year

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - With schools in the area starting a new year soon, the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department has released its guidance and recommendations for local districts for masks and social distancing.

In accordance with guidance from the CDC, the TLCHD is requiring every student and adult on school transportation to wear a mask, regardless of their vaccination status. The health department recommends masks should be worn by non-vaccinated individuals while indoors.

The health department also suggests parents, visitors, and guests are required to wear a mask and social distance while visiting the school, regardless of their vaccination history as well.

TLCHD is also recommending schools continue their previous social distancing efforts, keeping individuals at least three feet apart in the classroom while suggesting six-foot distances are preferred.

Universal masking should be considered by schools, according to the TLCHD, if:

A significant portion of the student population is not eligible for vaccination;
Difficulty in monitoring or enforcing mask policies for unvaccinated individuals;
Possibility of low vaccine uptake in the surrounding community continued concerns for variants that spread more easily among children, adolescents, and adults;
Protection against spreading other respiratory illnesses.

Contact tracing is still encouraged for school districts to report new cases and exposures to the local health department as soon as possible.

The health department is also encouraging school districts to promote vaccinations to “help schools return to in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports.”