Cooper Loosens COVID-19 Restrictions For NC Elementary Schools

NORTH CAROLINA — Some elementary classrooms will soon take a step towards more traditional instruction in North Carolina. Gov. Roy Cooper announced that schools around the state will soon be allowed the option to switch to "Plan A" instruction, which reduces social distancing requirements in classrooms.

The plan allows more students back into classrooms at one time and retains the list of health and safety protocols, such as temperature checks and mandatory mask use inside school buildings. It will not, however, apply to students in grades 6-12. Those older students must still receive instruction through either a hybrid in-person plan that allows reduced capacity in buildings at one time, or by full-remote learning.

The new guidelines go into effect Monday, Oct. 5.

"As we laid out this summer, option A continues to include important safety measures like required face coverings for all students, teachers and staff, social distancing and symptom screening," Cooper said in a news conference Thursday afternoon. "But plan A does not require schools to reduce the number of children in the classroom. Students in grades 6-12 still must operate only under Option B, which is partially in person and partially remote or Option C, which is all remote."

Cooper said the Plan A option may not work for all school districts, and that families will still maintain the option for full-remote learning.

"The more people wear masks and act responsibly, the more we slow the spread of the virus and the more children we can get safely in our schools," Cooper said.

For younger students, the benefits of in-person learning outweighs the risks, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen said, citing research that indicates there is lower viral spread of COVID-19 among younger children.

Schools will still be required to adhere to safety protocols, "no matter which plan they choose," Cohen said.

"Those requirements start with masks," she said. "Everyone in a school building — students, teachers, and staff — are required to wear a face covering."

Updated guidance for schools available in the "StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Tookit" may be found here.

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