Bucks Health Dept., Rebuked By PA Health Secretary, Again Changes Guidance For Schools

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — The Bucks County Health Department sent new reopening guidance to school districts on Monday evening, a week after its previous policy revision recommending indoor mask mandates.

"Effective immediately, the [county health department] will issue COVID-19 mitigation recommendations consistent with [the Centers for Disease Control] and the Pennsylvania Department of Health," the new guidance reads, going on to say that "while much of our previous guidance was in sync with the CDC, this guidance will serve to strengthen that connection."

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania's Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam sent a letter rebuking county commissioners and Director David Damsker on Monday, saying she feared for school leaders due to the county health department's "inconsistent and alarming messaging."

The new guidance references "clarification" by Beam, and includes several critical changes from previous advice released in August.

Most notably, the county health department has reversed its position on contact tracing in schools, saying that schools are required to report cases to the county health department and parents are encouraged to report cases to schools. Bucks' health department had previously said it would not contact trace in schools.

"As part of the contact tracing process, the [Pennsylvania Department of Health] and [Bucks County Health Department] will continue to work with schools to gather information about potential close contacts," according to the new guidance.

The health department had previously recommended that anyone with fever or multiple symptoms remain out of school buildings until symptoms had resolved for 24 hours without medication — including in the case of a positive test. Beam said that policy was “completely inconsistent” with federal and state recommendations and that there was “no definitive evidence” for it “in the scientific record,” according to a letter obtained by the Inquirer.

The new policy adheres to CDC recommendations, and requires isolation from both symptomatic and asymptomatic people who test positive for COVID-19.

"Whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 10 days as both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals can transmit the virus during that time," the health department wrote on Monday.

Bucks County also clarified its guidance on the CDC order mandating wearing masks on public transportation. While the county health department had previously said that school solicitors should work to determine how the order applied to school buses, the new guidance says masks must be worn by passengers and drivers on school buses regardless of school mask policy.

The county health department reaffirmed the importance of vaccines, and added that "school districts should consider mandating vaccination for all school staff and teachers, a position supported by the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers."

While the county health department had previously given little advice on physical distancing, the new guidance points to CDC recommendations to maintain at least three feet of physical distance between students in classrooms. The county health department said additional layered mitigation efforts should be employed if distance recommendations would prevent a school from fully reopening.

Read the updated Bucks County Health Department guidelines for school districts here.

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