Revised Public Health Guidance for Schools, PART 5 — SUPPORTING THE FULL RETURN TO IN-PERSON LEARNING FOR ALL STUDENTS AUGUST 2021

• Public Health Requirements for Schools
• IDPH Health and Safety Requirements
• Promote and/or provide COVID-19 immunization for all eligible staff and students
• Requesting Vaccination Status Information
• Require all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to P-12 schools to wear a mask while indoors, regardless of vaccination status
• Face Masks
• Other Recommendations for use of PPE
• Facilitate physical distancing. Schools should configure their spaces to provide space for physical distancing to the extent possible in their facilities
• Require contact tracing in combination with isolation of those with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and quarantine of close contacts, in collaboration with the local health department.
• Contact Tracing
• Definition of a Close Contact
• Quarantine Procedures
• Test to Stay Protocol 
• Implement or provide provisions for SARS-CoV-2 testing for diagnostic testing for suspected cases, close contacts, and during outbreaks, as well as screening testing for unvaccinated staff and students according to CDC’s testing recommendations
• Improve ventilation to reduce the concentration of potentially virus-containing droplets in schools’ indoor air environments
• Promote and adhere to handwashing and respiratory etiquette
• Encourage individuals who are sick to stay home and get tested for COVID-19
• Clean and disinfect surfaces in schools to maintain healthy environments

The Executive Order requiring masks again in grades PreK-12 is contained in the information below.

State of Illinois and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in P-12 Schools (August 9, 2021)
This updated FAQ addresses the following topics: Vaccination, Masking, Physical Distancing, Testing, Contract Tracing & Quarantine, and Determining Prevention Strategies.

Executive Order 2021-18 (COVID-19 EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 85)
Section 1: School Mitigation Measures. All public and nonpublic schools in Illinois serving pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students must follow the joint guidance issued by ISBE and IDPH and take proactive measures to ensure the safety of students, staff, and visitors, including, but not limited to:

1. Requiring the indoor use of face coverings by students, staff, and visitors who are age 2 and older and able to medically tolerate a face covering, regardless of vaccination status, consistent with CDC guidance; and,
2. Implementing other layered prevention strategies (such as physical distancing, screening testing, ventilation handwashing and respiratory etiquette, advising individuals to stay home when sick and get tested, contact tracing in combination with appropriate quarantine and isolation, and cleaning and disinfection) to the greatest extent possible and taking into consideration factors such as community transmission, vaccination coverage, screening testing, and occurrence of outbreaks, consistent with CDC guidance.