Chesco Health Department Relaxes Distancing In School Guidance

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Updated guidance went out to school superintendents in Chester and Delaware counties on Friday, relaxing wording in 6-feet distance standards, drawing a hard line that says 3-feet of distance must be kept at all times.

Chester County Health Department's guidance update also underscored the CDC's guidance that vaccination access should not be a factor in school district decisions about reopening for in-person instruction.

Chester County Health Department advised school districts that when the incidence rate is below 100 per 100,000 residents and percent positive of cases is below 10 percent, distancing of 6 feet is "recommended to the greatest extent possible," and "at no time is less than 3 feet permitted."

If these two metrics rise above those marks, 6 feet of distance will still be "strongly recommended" for students and required for staff interactions with students and other staff.

The guidance notes that "physical distancing assumes school district is implementing COVID screening testing. Transient interactions of less than 3 feet, such as passing in the hallway, handing in papers to the teacher, etc. are unavoidable."

Chester County's positivity rate is well below the 10 percent line that separates high transmission levels from very high levels.

The most recent Pennsylvania Department of Health report showed the positivity rate for tests dropped from 6.2 percent to 5.6 percent in the week ending Feb. 19 in Chester County. That places Chester County solidly in the moderate transmission level. A month ago, that number was at 10 percent, then it dropped to 8.4 percent before measuring 7 percent in the week ending Jan. 29.

Chesco's incidence rate is near the border of high and very high, but has been dropping steadily for weeks. The incidence rate fell in the last week, from 128 to 103.4 per 100,000 residents. In mid-January, the incidence rate for Chester County had been at 248 per 100,000 residents.

At 103 per 100,000 residence, the county's incidence rate is very near to dropping the county from the very high to high transmission level.

The DOH report showed a continuing downward trend in all COVID-19 metrics in Chester County. Last week saw 129 fewer positive tests; a smaller drop than in prior weeks but still representing a slowing trend. Read a story on the most recent COVID-19 news here.

The Chester County Health Department sent this updated guidance chart the school superintendents in Chester and Delaware counties on Feb. 19:

The Feb. 19 statement told superintendents, "The Chester County Health Department recognizes and supports the urgent need to reopen schools as in-person learning is vital for our children in all grade levels. Because of the layered mitigation measures you have successfully implemented, we support schools increasing more in-person learning through reduced physical distancing. Specifically, when certain Community Transmission Levels are met and layered mitigation strategies are continued, schools are encouraged to reduce physical distancing as outlined (above)."

The health department said the change is further supported by and closely aligns with the CDC’s recently released "Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Mitigation."

The message to superintendents noted that "the CDC’s strategy clearly states that access to vaccination should not be considered a condition for reopening schools for in-person instruction."

The Pennsylvania State Teachers Association on Feb. 10 asked Chester County’s commissioners and Department of Health director and members of the Delaware County Council to "refuse any requests by county schools to waive current social distancing rules and overcrowd classrooms during a pandemic."

PSEA President Rich Askey wrote County Health Director Jeanne E. Franklin and the Chester County commissioners and the Delaware County Council, stating: "Six feet of social distance is now the norm in Pennsylvania. To permit anything less in school buildings will put students, teachers, support professionals, and their families at unnecessary risk of contracting COVID-19 and increase the likelihood that they will spread the virus to others."

Askey said, "The educators and support professionals I represent want to teach and serve their students. Their commitment to the counties’ children is nothing short of extraordinary. But, where schools are holding in-person instruction, our members want to be certain that the mitigation protocols in place will keep them safe and healthy."

Assistant Director of Communications for PSEA Chris Lilienthal said "members in Chester and Delaware counties are very concerned about the Chester Health Department’s loosening of social distancing guidelines. It will inevitably lead to overcrowded classrooms that will put students, staff, and their families at greater risk and increase the likelihood that they will spread the virus to others."

Lilienthal said PSEA has called on the Wolf administration to prioritize access to the COVID-19 vaccine for school staff who choose to get it. "This is the best and most efficient way to make it possible to bring more students back into the classroom. The CDC guidance actually reinforces the importance of prioritizing vaccines for educators and other school staff as a strategy for keeping schools safe," he added.

"Until more school staff can get access to the vaccine, it is critically important that schools stick with other key safety measures for in-person instruction, including universal masking, 6 feet of social distancing, access to PPE, and proper ventilation and cleaning in school buildings," Lilienthal said.

Chester County's updated guidance keeps in effect all existing layered mitigation measures. But it adds some mitigation measures, advising school districts to:

• engage with families to ensure such a change does not negatively impact families (i.e., more families choose to remain remote with less than six feet),
• implement a COVID-19 screening testing plan that has been reviewed by the Health Department; educate and promote participation in the screening testing,
• educate and promote vaccination as an extra layer of safety for individuals and the school community overall, and
• ensure learning options remain in place for families who choose not to return to in-person learning with less than 6 feet physical distancing.

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