COVID-19 Update: July 6, 2021
You may be wondering how the State and L.A. county "reopening" is impacting programs and the guidance and recommendations we are receiving from regulatory agencies now that we are several weeks past June 15th. We are aware that some programs, such as summer camps for school-age children, immediately shifted to not wearing masks outdoors. However, the CEC continues to maintain the stricter standard for all ages until more information regarding community spread, especially in light of the variant, becomes available. However, effective July 12, we will adjust our question regarding out-of-state domestic travel. The revised question will ask you to confirm that if you traveled out of state, all members of your household or traveling party wore masks and practiced physical distancing with unvaccinated people or in crowded public spaces. If this is the case, a quarantine period will not automatically be required. If mask-wearing and distancing are not chosen or possible, we will ask that unvaccinated children quarantine for the safety of their unvaccinated peers and teachers.
On Friday, we received a communication from the LA County Department of Health stating the following:
"On June 15, the day the County fully reopened, the (county) saw 210 new cases and the test positivity rate was around 0.5%. Two weeks after the June 15 reopening we are reporting both new cases and the test positivity rate has doubled. This is a signal that the virus is still with us and that even now we need to be careful to mask and maintain a distance from people outside our households, especially those of us who are not yet vaccinated. Our recovery is best supported by continuing to take sensible safety precautions that prevent increases in community transmission."
Therefore, we anticipate that the repeal of precautions in early care will be some time away. The good news is that the children are wearing masks with relative ease and thriving as they enjoy abundant time out of doors with their teachers and unvaccinated peers. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Lisa Cain-Chang.
