Officials noted several times that not all school buildings and communities are the same and encouraged school officials to think through what will work for your school building as far as decreasing congestion during passing periods, meal times, recess, using signage and staggering times of passing periods that work best for your school building, said CDPHEs Therese Pilonetti.

Staggered arrival times, eating and recess times are recommended, as well as frequent cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that get touched a lot throughout and at the end of the day.

Ventilation, air exchanges, filtration and pulling air away from people is also critical, due to the likelihood that the virus can be transmitted through the air. Officials said holding classes outdoors is likely to lower the risk of the viral spread. Officials will issue separate guidance on how to do ventilation well.

All staff will be required to have face coverings, except for individuals with other health problems that make wearing a mask less healthy. Masks will be required for students 11 and up, and encouraged for younger students. Students will not be required to wear masks while napping or sleeping. Alternative transparent barriers may be used in place of masks for students who are hearing impaired or language learners.

The guidance does not specify the size of the cohort because it is dependent on the physical size of the classroom.

Whatever the testing circumstances in Colorado, whether turnaround is instantaneous or whether turnaround is taking several days, cohorting is going to be the best way for schools and school boards and educators to approach limiting the disruptions caused by cases, said Erly.

State officials are working on an algorithm that specifies when an entire school would have to close as a result of an outbreak, but didnt offer additional details on what it would include.

Erly said the class schedule as usual might not be possible. Schools may have to implement, block scheduling, hybrid and in-person learning, and staggered schedules.

Cohorting is going to require a lot of creativity and adjustments on part of schools, he said.

Link:

Guidelines On How Colorado Schools Can Reopen During The Coronavirus Are Out. Here's What They Say - Colorado Public Radio