Health official on COVID-19: 'Start normalizing things' as students return

Noe Padilla, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·3 min read
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Tippecanoe School Corporation bus sits outside of Wea Ridge Elementary School, on May 16, 2022.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — As students continue the return to the classroom this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new set of COVID-19 guidelines for schools to follow for the upcoming school year.

The new set of guidelines, released Aug. 11, sees a significant reduction of school-required action compared to prior guidelines, leaving much of the decision-making up to local officials.

“We’re in a stronger place today as a nation, with more tools — like vaccination, boosters, and treatments — to protect ourselves, and our communities, from severe illness from COVID-19,” said Greta Massetti, a senior epidemiologist at the CDC, in a statement.

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“This guidance acknowledges that the pandemic is not over, but also helps us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives.”

Tippecanoe County COVID-19 restrictions

In Tippecanoe County, around 61 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, according to the Indiana State Department of Health, and cases are relatively low.

When it comes to how the new guidelines affect students and staff at K-12 institutions, the CDC’s recommendations regarding COVID-19 are mostly that - recommendations.

Students and staff are no longer required to wear masks this upcoming school year, although the CDC does recommend individuals wear a mask if they live in communities where COVID-19 transmission levels are high. Currently, in Tippecanoe County, COVID-19 transmission levels are considered medium.

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If a student is known or suspected of being exposed to COVID-19, the CDC recommends people should wear a “well-fitting mask” or respirator around others for 10 days, regardless of vaccination status or history of prior infection.

Students who have been exposed are no longer recommended to quarantine at home, but the CDC does recommend that if a student or staff tests positive for COVID-19, they should stay home for at least five days and isolate themselves from others at home.

“Since quarantine is no longer recommended for people who are exposed to COVID-19 except in certain high-risk congregate settings, Test to Stay (TTS) is no longer needed. If any school or early care and education program choose to continue requiring quarantine, they may also choose to continue TTS,” reads the updated guidelines.

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The Journal & Courier reached out to Dr. Gregory Loomis, the Tippecanoe County Health Department health officer, to get his opinion on the CDC's recently updated guidelines.

“I think the one thing I would say about what the CDC guidelines are very simply, a return to normalcy. And I mean that in a sense of saying, let’s do what we need to do and be cautious but let’s get back to normal,” said Loomis.

“Let’s fill up the high school football stadiums. It’s a great place to just see the teams play and see some comradery with our neighbors. Let’s start normalizing things, like walking down Main Street and helping support our local vendors. Let’s do what we need to do to get the community back up and going.”

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: CDC releases new guidelines for the start of the new school year