US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

**March 6, 2020 Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Childcare Programs and K-12 Schools**

**March 12, 2020 Interim Guidance for Administrators of US K-12 Schools and Childcare Programs**

* Clarification of appropriate mitigation strategies based on level of community transmission of COVID-19 and presence of COVID-19 cases within the school.

### K-12 guidance (May 2020 - May 2022)

**May 19, 2020 school guidance**

**August 21, 2020 school guidance**

* Expanded considerations on planning and preparing schools before opening
* Updated considerations on ventilation
* Updated considerations on food service
* Updated considerations for students who may be unable to wear masks
* Updated considerations for students with special healthcare needs and disabilities
* Updated considerations on cohorting, staggering, and alternating strategies
* Updated considerations on recognizing signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and screening
* Updated considerations on coping and support
* Updated considerations on making plans for accommodations
* Updated considerations for Direct Service Providers (DSPs)

**December 31, 2020 school guidance**

* Incorporated new evidence about COVID-19 in children
* Updated language for clarity
* Updated language for consistency with other CDC COVID-19 guidance
* Updated language about keeping schools open, in addition to opening them for in-person learning
* Added information about animals in the classroom

**February 12, 2021 K-12 school guidance**

* Complete rewrite from new Biden administration

**March 19, 2021 K-12 school guidance**

* Revised physical distancing recommendations to reflect at least 3 feet between students in classrooms and provide clearer guidance when a greater distance (such as 6 feet) is recommended.
* Clarified that ventilation is a component of strategies to clean and maintain healthy facilities.
* Removed recommendation for physical barriers.
* Clarified the role of community transmission levels in decision-making.
* Added guidance on interventions when clusters occur.

**May 15, 2021 K-12 school guidance**

* CDC recommends schools continue to use the current COVID-19 prevention strategies for the 2020-2021 school year.

**July 9, 2021 K-12 school guidance**

* Added information on offering and promoting COVID-19 vaccination.
* Updated to emphasize the need for localities to monitor community transmission, vaccination coverage, screening testing, and occurrence of outbreaks to guide decisions on the level of layered prevention strategies.
* Revised to emphasize the COVID-19 prevention strategies most important for in-person learning for K-12 schools.
	+ Added language on the importance of offering in-person learning, regardless of whether all of the prevention strategies can be implemented at the school.
	+ For example, because of the importance of in-person learning, schools where not everyone is fully vaccinated should implement physical distancing to the extent possible within their structures (in addition to masking and other prevention strategies), but should not exclude students from in-person learning to keep a minimum distance requirement.
* Updated to align with guidance for fully vaccinated people.
* Updated to align with current mask guidance.
	+ In general, people do not need to wear masks when outdoors.
* Added language on safety and health protections for workers in K-12 schools.

**August 4, 2021 K-12 school guidance**

* Updated to recommend universal indoor masking for all students, staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.
* Added recommendation for fully vaccinated people who have a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to be tested 3-5 days after exposure, regardless of whether they have symptoms.

**October 22, 2021 K-12 school guidance**

* Updated recommendation for fully vaccinated people who have a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to be tested 5-7 days after exposure, regardless of whether they have symptoms.

**November 5, 2021 K-12 school guidance**

* Updated guidance to reflect authorization of COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11.

**January 6, 2022 K-12 school guidance**

* Updated guidance to reflect new recommendations for isolation for people with COVID-19 and recommendations for people who have come into close contact with a person with COVID-19.

**January 13, 2022 K-12 school guidance**

* Added a footnote to clarify language in the screening testing table.
* Clarified that to allow time for students to catch up with the latest recommendations and to minimize disruption to in-person learning, schools may consider forgoing quarantine for students ages 12-17 years who completed their primary vaccine series but have not yet received all eligible boosters.

### Childcare guidance (April 2020 - May 2022)

**April 1, 2020 childcare guidance**

**April 21, 2020 childcare guidance**

**March 12, 2021 childcare guidance**

* Expanded guidance background for what is known about COVID-19 and transmission in child care settings
* Updated guidance for mask use for child care
* Updated guidance on ventilation and water systems
* Updated guidance for children with special needs and disabilities
* Updated guidance on cohorting and staggering strategies
* Updated guidance for communal spaces, food service, playgrounds and play space.
* Updated guidance on recognizing signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and screening
* Updated guidance on protecting people at higher risk
* Updated guidance for Direct Service Providers (DSPs)

**July 9, 2021 childcare guidance**

* Updated the guidance for mask use and physical distancing for fully vaccinated people. Generally, fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing.
* Expanded the guidance for how organizations can promote vaccinations among staff and families.
* Updated the guidance for outdoor mask use among people who are not fully vaccinated. Generally, people can be outdoors without masks.
* Added information on health equity.

**August 25, 2021 childcare guidance**

* Updated the guidance for mask use and physical distancing for fully vaccinated people.
* Clarified that CDC’s order requiring the wearing of masks by people on public transportation applies to ECE vehicles.
* Corrected the recommendations for cleaning surfaces between groups of children brushing teeth to specify sanitizing instead of disinfecting.

**November 5, 2021 childcare guidance**

* Updated guidance to reflect authorization of COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5–11.

**November 10, 2021 childcare guidance**

* Updated to recommend universal indoor masking in ECE programs for everyone ages 2 and older, and other strategies to prevent spread of COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status.
* Added screening testing information to prevention strategies section.
* Added recommendation for fully vaccinated people who have a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to be tested 5-7 days after exposure, regardless of whether they have symptoms.
* Added recommendations for staying home, testing, and masking for individuals with COVID-19 in the last 90 days.

**January 28, 2022 childcare guidance**

* Updated guidance to reflect new quarantine and isolation guidance and recommendations, specifying the circumstances when isolation and quarantine periods can be shortened.
* Updated guidance regarding staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

### Combined K-12 and childcare guidance (May 27, 2022 and onwards)

**May 27, 2022 School and childcare guidance**

* Combined school and childcare guidance

**August 11, 2022 School and childcare guidance**

* Removed the recommendation to cohort
* Changed recommendation to conduct screening testing to focus on high-risk activities during high COVID-19 Community Level or in response to an outbreak
* Removed the recommendation to quarantine, except in high-risk congregate settings
* Removed information about Test to Stay
* Added detailed information on when to wear a mask, managing cases and exposures, and responding to outbreaks

**October 5, 2022 School and childcare guidance**

* Updated recommendations for use of masks in school nurse offices to follow those outlined in the Infection Control: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) guidance.

## Risk Indicator Levels

Summer 2020 risk indicator level (MMWR)

September 15, 2020 risk indicators for school reopening.

February 12, 2021 risk indicators for school reopening.

March 24, 2022 risk indicators for school reopening (aligned to general community levels on this date)