Medford Outlines COVID Precautions In Schools

MEDFORD, MA — The Medford Public Schools is implementing a number of health and safety precautions ahead of the upcoming school year in light of the Delta variant's surge.

Superintendent Marice Edouard-Vincent said students and staff will be required to wear masks while inside school buildings, regardless of vaccination status. In a message to families Thursday, Edouard-Vincent outlined additional COVID prevention steps the district is taking this year:

• Ongoing improvements to the HVAC and ventilation systems
• On-site pooled surveillance testing program of staff and students (Link to NEW Consent form)
• Quarantine and contact tracing protocols
• Thorough cleaning and sanitization practices
• Plentiful hand sanitizer located throughout the school buildings
• Availability of Abbot Binax rapid testing for students and staff members showing signs of illness while at school

"We realize that this period of uncertainty has heightened anxiety and sadness for many of our students," she wrote. "The social and emotional health of our students is the top priority this year. We know that there are learning gaps that need to be addressed, but our emphasis in the first weeks of the school year is to support the emotional needs of our students and to restore the social as well as educational environment in each school."