Revised coronavirus guidelines will keep most California school buildings closed

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has handed down strict guidelines for coping with the coronavirus outbreak that will require most school systems in the state to keep their buildings closed to start the 2020-21 year.

The Sacramento Bee reports that guidelines from the California Department of Public Health state that public and private schools in the more than 30 counties now on the state’s Covid-19 watchlist are prohibited from opening their buildings. Those counties represent more than 80 percent of the state’s population.

Any schools that do reopen during the coronavirus outbreak must require masks for older children as well as makes and consistent testing for staff.

[MORE: Read Newsom's pandemic plan for schools]

Newsom says Californians who want schools and businesses open can aid that effort by wearing masks to control the spread of the disease.

The state's revised instructions also mandate that children in grades three and higher wear masks; face coverings for younger children will be strongly encouraged. Children with certain medical conditions are exempt from this mandate. Staff would be required to wear the protective gear.

The third prong of Newsom’s guidelines calls for safety precautions such as social distancing. Anyone entering a school facilitywill have to go through health screenings, like temperature and symptom checks.

Testing and contact tracing are the fourth component. To monitor Covid-19 in education institutions, half the teachers and staff will rotate through monthly testing. Should students or educators test positive for the virus, a classroom would have to close and quarantine for 14 days.

If an entire student body and staff reach an infection rate of 5%, the school would need to close, and if there’s a widespread outbreak in a district, it would have to shut down, the new guidelines say.

Finally, Newsom’s framework ties $5.3 billion in education funding provided through the state budget to ensure schools provide rigorous distance learning options should they choose to pursue online-only instruction.

The money was set aside to help pay for laptops and academic intervention assistance for families without the resources.