Connecticut OKs high school proms, graduations.
As prom and graduation season approaches, the state Department of Public Health released guidelines Friday on how schools can safely hold the end-of-year events, and what coronavirus safety precautions must be in place. While high schools will be allowed to hold celebrations, “the risk of spread of COVID-19 among school staff, students, and their families participating in these activities during the pandemic remains significant,” state health officials said.
“Leadership planning these events, and all attendees, will also have to consider the potential downstream consequences of hosting or attending large events with limited control over the movement and interactions among attendees, which could include quarantining an entire class of students if a single case of COVID-19 is present at an event,” they added.
The state health department asked schools who are considering in-person graduation ceremonies and other events to consider holding them in large, open-air, outdoor spaces, rather than tents with sides, and plan rain dates instead of moving gatherings indoors. In order to mitigate spread, the department said event attendees should plan on wearing masks — regardless of vaccination status — and continue social distancing. Anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19 may not attend gatherings, along with those who are in quarantine. Close contact should be avoided, and cohorting* is encouraged.
https://www.courant.com/coronavirus/hc-news-coronavirus-prom-graduation-guidelines-20210409-zhe4kyona5aa5kihlffcys43h4-story.html
*What is cohorting ?
Cohorting is one of many mitigation strategies that schools can use to limit mixing between students and staff and to limit the spread of COVID-19.
A cohort or pod is a distinct group that stays together throughout the entire school day during in-person learning, or over the course of any pre-determined period of time, so that there is minimal or no interaction between groups.
This practice can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by limiting cross-over of students and teachers to the extent possible.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/guidance-for-childcare.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fschools-childcare%2Fschools-faq.html
