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Washington – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will issue new recommendations in the coming days on how to reopen schools, restaurants and religious services, among other sectors of American society.
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The guidelines will complement the directives already proposed by CDC to state and local governments, which are the decision makers on the ground.
Under the guidelines previously announced by the CDC, local governments must maintain current executive orders to close non-essential companies, schools and churches, until a 14-day consecutive drop in new cases of coronavirus is reflected, including hospitalizations.
They also propose to ensure, before any reopening, that the hospital system has the capacity to handle a new COVID-19 outbreak, and that there are sufficient screening tests for workers who are vulnerable to infection, such as employees in the hospital area. Health.
In stage 1 of the reopening of society – which for many states represents the current situation – it is recommended that schools remain closed.
When students can return to schools – in the second stage of reopening – which in many states would be at the earliest for the next semester, the draft of the more detailed guides, first published by The Washington Post, suggests that students be as much as possible with the same group at school.
That should include not only that the same group of students can stay in one room, even to get food. Suggestions go in the direction of wearing masks and keeping extracurricular activities suspended.
At the same time, they recommend giving reasonable accommodations to the most vulnerable employees, such as teachers and administrative officials.
“Mixing groups should be restricted,” says the draft guidelines for stages 1 and 2, which the White House is expected to announce in the coming days.
With regard to school buses, the recommendations propose to establish rules for social distancing. They also propose staggered entrances and exits from the school or other protocols that avoid crowds.
The draft guidelines propose that schools identify a room to isolate any student, teacher, or official who exhibits COVID-19 symptoms.
Regarding communities of faith, the preliminary norms recommend keeping the masses virtual and limiting the number of people who can gather, using masks, in the churches, according to the proposals of the local governments.
Even in the third stage, the draft of the next guides envisages maintaining social distance, considering transmitting masses over the Internet and even a “servicarro” service for the most vulnerable population.
Stage one of the reopening of the economy, according to current CDC guidelines, proposes to keep bars closed and limit restaurants to take-out services.
In a second stage, restaurants should reopen their dining rooms, limiting the number of customers and, among other things, the supply of food in “buffets”.
It is not until the third stage that it is recommended to open the bars, increasing the capacity to stand in the facility and maintaining the rules of social distancing.
Under the new reality caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the draft of the CDC’s expanded guidelines suggests installing physical barriers between cashiers, bartenders and employees who receive customers at the restaurant, as is already done in supermarkets and pharmacies. .
