In-person instruction ‘not recommended’ for San Antonio, Bexar County schools, Metro Health says

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Metro Health Medical Director Dr. Junda Woo has issued an amended health directive that says “in-person instruction is not recommended at this time” for schools in San Antonio and Bexar County.

The update provides guidance for in-person and remote learning for all public and private schools, from pre-kindergarten through university.

“The school indicator bar is in the Red Zone, which means in-person learning is not recommended,” Woo said. “Our data show that schools are less risky places than we thought at the start of the pandemic, but we also know that avoiding extra risks will help contain our current surge. We urge parents to choose remote learning until we can get over this hump.”

Updates in the amended health directive include:

• If in-person learning continues in the Red Zone, staff COVID-19 testing should be used to reduce risk. In-person learning should be highly restricted and take place with fixed pods of six students at most.
• Standard 14-day quarantine is recommended in the Red and Yellow Zones.
• Colleges and universities are asked to remain virtual in the Red Zone.
• Pre-kindergarten through elementary school students are added to priority groups for in-person learning in the Yellow Zone.
• Occupancy in the Yellow Zone is increased to 50%, from 25%.
• Meals, breaks, locker rooms, training rooms, buses and shared housing are highlighted as situations where extra vigilance is needed.

According to the directive, the recommendations also say that all school systems tie their operational level to Metro Health’s Progress and Warning Indicators, including the weekly metric for school reopening status.

Information on Metro Health’s weekly school risk level, which includes varying levels of virus prevention tactics and guidance within its Red, Yellow and Green Zones, can be found here.

Currently, the community is currently in the red zone.

Read the full recommendations from Woo below or by clicking here.

Related: Metro Health issues recommendations against indoor dining and gatherings