California schools can't reopen if they're on the COVID-19 watch list
Counties with a high rate of positive coronavirus testing must keep schools closed in the fall.
Students must learn from home if their county has a high rate of positive COVID-19 testing.
California schools in counties that are on the COVID-19 watch list must remain closed, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday. Counties will be permitted to open their schools for in-person learning only if they've been off the list for 14 consecutive days. Counties are put on the monitoring list according to their rate of positivity in coronavirus testing.
Counties that are currently on the COVID-19 monitoring list in California are: Alameda, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Imperial, Kings, Los Angeles, Marin, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tulare, Ventura, Yolo and Yuba.
For schools that do reopen in other counties, Newsom said classroom "cohorts" must be sent home if there is a confirmed case. An entire school must go home when multiple classroom cohorts have cases or more than 5% of the school is positive. A district must send home all schools if 25% of them are closed within a 14-day period.
Schools should also consult with a public health officer.
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Newsom's announcement follows two of the state's biggest school districts, Los Angeles and San Diego, saying, on Monday, that they won't reopen in the fall.
"Unfortunately, COVID-19 continues to spread in the Los Angeles area, and the virus is going to impact how we start the new school year," said Austin Beutner, superintendent of LA schools. "The health and safety of all in the school community is not something we can compromise."
