NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The Centers for Disease Control has issued a new recommendation regarding in-person learning and allowing students to not wear a mask in the classroom if they are fully vaccinated. They recommend that students who are not vaccinated wear a mask in the classroom.
The public education department says it’s waiting for the New Mexico department of health to review the recommendation and give them some guidelines but they expect them to align closely with the CDC’s recommendations. They will continue to encourage people 12 and older to get their shots.
Many parents are ready to send their kids back, like Teresa Smith. “For my child particularly, you know home is their safe place and schools can sometimes be difficult and struggling, so we took to school and brought it into their home we brought school into their safe space,” Smith said.
The PED says it’s still unclear how they will handle enrollment and proof of vaccination. Parents, like Serena Munoz, though aren’t worried, comparing it to vaccination records that already submit. “I do feel that it is fair it’s a parent’s choice to show you or not so I do feel it is fair for a parent to say yes or no,” Munoz said.
The CDC guidance relies on the concept of “layered” prevention… Which is using several strategies at once to cut down on the chance of spreading the virus. That includes things like improvements to ventilation, promoting frequent hand washing, and regular testing.
That is something New Mexico schools were already doing when they returned in the spring. Right now no elementary-aged kids are eligible for the vaccine so you can count on widespread mask use there it’s only approved for children 12 and up.
