Lee School District will implement enhanced COVID-19 protections when schools reopen Monday

Dan DeLuca, Fort Myers News-Press
·3 min read

With the Omicron variant causing a surge in COVID-19 cases in Lee County, students will experience enhanced safety measures when public schools reopen on Monday.

Among the protocols will be a renewed focus on distancing, limiting attendance at indoor sporting events, the cancellation of field trips, and return of grab and go meals so students can eat in classrooms or other areas of schools. Face masks will also be strongly recommended to be worn indoors.

The district's list of tiered COVID-19 mitigation strategies includes specific guidelines based on whether transmission of the coronavirus in Lee County is determined to be at high, substantial, moderate, or low levels.

Currently, nearly all of Florida, including Lee County, is designated as a high transmission area for COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means there are 100 or more cases per 100,000 people or a positivity rate of 10% or higher.

Last week, the Florida Department of Health reported 1,830 new COVID-19 cases in Lee County. That equates to more than 235 cases per 100,000 county residents.

More: Lee County's COVID cases up 248%; Florida cases surge 333%

And: Lee County COVID-19 vaccine tracker: 63% of people fully vaccinated

Other Florida school districts are taking more restrictive measures. For example, Miami-Dade announced Thursday that masks will be mandated for all adults, including teachers, on the campuses of its schools.

Lee County instituted a 30-day mandatory masking policy for students and district employees last fall, when the delta variant led to the spike in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. However, when a Florida judge upheld Gov. Ron DeSantis' executive order banning universal mask mandates, the district reverted to a policy that allowed parents to opt out of the masking rule for students.

The Collier County School District has had a voluntary masking policy in place for the entirety of this school year. A spokesperson for the district, which reopens its schools on Tuesday, said its COVID-19 protocols will remain the same.

Lee County schools COVID-19 strategies for high transmission level

  • Face coverings strongly recommended indoors

  • Maximize physical distancing

  • Provide physical distancing markers in waiting and reception areas

  • All desks face forward, cohort of 2-4 students allowed with physical distancing when instruction warrants

  • Limit the use of classroom materials to small groups and disinfect between uses

  • Grab and Go meals so students can eat in their classroom or other school areas to accommodate more spacing

  • Close water fountains and use water bottle filling stations only

  • No use of hallway lockers

  • Large indoor staff gatherings must be held virtually

  • Large indoor student gatherings during schools hours must be held virtually

  • Cancel all field trips

  • Limit attendance (capacity) at indoor extracurricular events (ex: sports, performances) to ensure physical distancing

  • No visitors on campus during school hours

  • All contracted personnel and volunteers must sign a health screening form upon arrival at the main office; retain information regarding location and student interaction

  • Wipe down secondary classroom desks before each class change

  • Playground equipment and recess equipment sanitized between each class use

  • Fogging of areas where an individual has been within 24 hours of testing positive

  • Clean and disinfect transportation vehicles between each run in the morning and each run in the evening when possible

  • Increased number of buses available for athletic events to provide more space

  • Keep windows open while the bus is in motion to help increase air circulation, if appropriate for weather conditions and safety

Connect with Dan DeLuca: @News-PressDan (Twitter), ddeluca@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: COVID in Lee County: With cases rising, schools will step up protection