County superintendents of school districts for Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Contra Costa, Alameda and Marin, along with the City of Berkeley, released a joint statement Friday supporting full, in-person learning for the 2021-22 school year.
“In accordance with the July 12, 2021 California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) K-12 school guidance, the superintendents are eager for students and staff to begin their school year with in-person instruction that maximizes as much in-person instructional time as possible,” the joint statement said.
Superintendents are “strongly encouraging all who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination to be vaccinated as soon as possible and are educating the community about the requirement of universal masking while indoors on school campus,” added the statement.
According to the CDC guidance, a safe in-person learning environment includes vaccinations for all eligible individuals (currently ages 12 and over), universal masking in schools, more targeted quarantining practices and access to a robust COVID-19 testing program. Schools are also advised to ensure ample ventilation, cleaning and disinfecting of facilities.
“It is important for all students to have access to a safe learning environment, and universal mask-wearing and the COVID-19 vaccine are proven to be the two most effective mitigation strategies in preventing in-school transmission of the coronavirus and its variants,” said Dr. Mary Ann Dewan, Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools.