The State of Illinois has been working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to update guidance regarding COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools for all public and nonpublic schools in Illinois.

The CDC guidance is meant to help K-12 school administrators along with local health officials select prevention strategies to keep students in person all while handling COVID-19 and any Delta variant transmissions of the virus. The IDPH is asking all school districts that decide not to follow the CDC guidance to consult with their insurers to check for risk assumption and liability coverage. 

Some changes to guidance for the 2021-2022 school year will be promotion of the vaccine as a leading strategy to end the pandemic, alignment of masking recommendations for schools with CDC guidance for those who are fully vaccinated, emphasis on the importance of first person learning,  revised definition of close contacts for quarantine procedure, and a new test-to-stay alternative to quarantine.

For more information on CDC guidance visit dph.illinois.gov/covid19/schoolFAQs .