AL State Health Department Releases COVID Guidelines For Schools

MONTGOMERY, AL — The Alabama Department of Public Health announced Monday its COVID-19 guidelines as schools begin to open statewide. The ADPH guidance follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation for masking of all students and staff.

“The best CDC strategies for students to remain in the classroom, even if exposed to a positive COVID-19 case, are the use of masks, spacing, and vaccinations,” state health director Dr. Scott Harris said in the ADPH statement. “For those students too young for vaccinations, consistent and correct mask use and three feet (six feet is better) of social distance in classrooms will help students to remain in the classroom, and mitigate the further spread of the COVID-19 virus and prevent outbreaks.”Implementing universal masking, spacing, and vaccinations (when age-appropriate) recommendations will allow more students to remain in school, more parents and grandparents to remain at work, and most importantly prevent an outbreak in the school that could spread to the community at large.”

The ADPH also said local school systems are responsible for implementing routine measures and restrictions deemed necessary to address the impact and spread of COVID-19 for their buildings, facilities and grounds, including transportation.

Read the full ADPH guideline here.

Birmingham City Schools, which started Monday, already announced they would require masks for all students and staff, along with larger systems like Hunstville City Schools and Jefferson County Schools.

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