Updated State Guidance - February 28
Posted on 02/28/2022
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The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Governor Newsom announced today in a press release that the state will lift the existing indoor face covering mandate currently in place in all California K-12 schools, effective at 11:59 p.m. on March 11, 2022.

This change in state health guidance is based upon numerous factors: updated Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidance which now places Yolo County in a medium community level tier;, COVID-19 cases in Yolo County continue to decline; safe, free and effective vaccinations are widely available, and we now have access to higher-quality face coverings that better protect us against the virus.

The DJUSD Board of Education will receive an update from staff regarding the new CDPH guidance at its next meeting on Thursday, March 3, 2022, and then discuss potential changes to DJUSD policies prior to any changes being made to indoor face covering policies.

It is important to remember that regardless of changes in state guidance, DJUSD will continue many of the important COVID-19 mitigation measures currently in place, including the use of HEPA air filters in all classrooms, upgraded HVAC filters, promotion of healthy habits and providing free high quality face masks to staff and students.

The change in guidance includes a strong recommendation for personal protection from COVID-19, including continued indoor masking regardless of vaccine status. Yolo County Public Health Officer, Dr. Aimee Sisson, emphasizes that wearing a high-quality, well-fitting mask (KN95, N95 or KF94) is very effective in keeping you safe from the virus – even if others around you are unmasked. Dr. Sisson recently shared a California study that showed that people who always wore an N95 or KN95 in indoor public spaces were 83% less likely to be infected with COVID than those who don’t wear a face covering.

We know that changes in public health policy may be stressful; please be patient as we determine the protocols to ensure the continued health and safety of everyone in our schools, and remember to be kind to school staff who are responsible for implementing these protocols. We will communicate widely to our parents, students, staff and community prior to any policy changes.