San Mateo Daily Journal
By Sierra Lopez
As San Mateo County’s school communities prepare for a full in-person return to classes, district leaders are outlining how they intend to keep staff and students safe amid an influx of COVID-19 cases.
“We know that learning together in person with their teachers is important for our students’ academic progress as well as their well-being. We are taking these additional precautionary measures to maintain safety on our school campuses for students and staff,” Jorge Quintana, Redwood City Elementary School District spokesperson, said in an email.
School-age children, many too young to access COVID-19 vaccines, will be walking the halls this school semester within days, a return for which education leaders have been preparing. Students and staff can expect strict indoor masking requirements, according to return plans released by districts across the county...
Additional state guidance was released mid-Wednesday, just ahead of the local return, requiring teachers and school staff to either get vaccinated or to access COVID-19 testing at least once a week. Schools will be responsible for implementing a system for verifying employee vaccination status by Oct. 15. Records will need to be submitted to County Health for case investigation, according to a press release from the county Office of Education.
Students are not required to be vaccinated with doses only available for those ages 12 and older. Health officials believe eligibility may be extended to younger children in the early fall with full federal approval potentially coming early next year.
State Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, lauded the order in a press release, having called for such a move last week and advocating for teachers and school staff to be prioritized during initial vaccine efforts.
“Vaccinations are our best weapon to beat COVID-19. The governor’s move today ensures that everyone — our kids, teachers and all school staff — are better protected as California comes back to school with in-person learning,” Becker said. “As a parent of two teens, I thank the governor, teachers, school workers and our school districts for coming together on this issue. Together, we’re building a wall of safety around our kids.”