HARRISBURG– With the surge in coronavirus cases in the last few weeks, attention is turning to schools and whether they should offer in-person learing. State Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine says that it’s still the state’s priority to have in-person instruction. However, it is also their recommendation to go to fully remote learning when a county has been in the substantial transmission level for at least two weeks. Fifty-nine counties now qualify under that protocol so public schools in those counties will need to file a new document with the state.
“They will be required to sign an attestation form to confirm that all safety protocols are in place such as universal masking, and responding to cases of COVID-19 in a school setting, if they wish to continue to provide in-person or blended instructional models,” Levine said.
Levine says the decision on what type of instruction is still a local one. What if the school district does not comply with the attestation?
“They will be required to provide only full remote learning and they will suspend all extra curricular activities as long as the county remains in substantial transmission or until the school attests and complies with the safety protocols,” Levine said.
Levine and Governor Tom Wolf also announced Monday no alcohol sales on Thanksgiving Eve and advised Pennsylvanians to stay at home as much as possible.
