MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Mandatory face coverings for students and teachers and bus stop temperature scans are part of the back-to-school guidance issued by the Vermont Agency of Education for this fall.
The guidance recommends that another adult ride the bus with the driver to assist with screenings, which would be done before students board. Both adults also must wear face coverings. Students would be assigned seats on the bus.
Facial coverings may be removed during outdoor activities where students and staff can maintain physical distancing and have ready access to put them back as needed when the activities are over, according to the guidance.
With cafeterias closed, students should be offered school meals in their classrooms, and if that’s not possible, grab-and-go carts could be made available for students to collect meals in small groups, the guidance said.
Every school district and independent school “should establish a COVID-19 coordinator to establish, review and implement health and safety protocols,” the guidance says. That person “should be a school nurse or other health professional qualified to interpret guidelines and ensure they are implemented to the best standard of practice.”.
Other coronavirus-related developments in Vermont:
UNEMPLOYMENT
Vermont’s unemployment rate dropped to 12.7% for May, a decrease of 3.8% from 16.5% in April, the first full month reflecting the impact of the coronavirus.
The national unemployment rate in May was 13.3%.
“The May figures show increased economic activity as companies continue to re-open, Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington said a news release Friday. “Construction, manufacturing, retail, and leisure and hospitality industries showed significant increases in employment this past month and early indications see this continuing.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.