The City of Pasadena Department of Public Health will adhere to new guidance from the California Department of Public Health, which recommends that Counties with case rates of COVID-19 at or above 200 cases per 100,000 residents do not extend waivers for the reopening of classroom instruction for students in grades TK-6.
California health officials have barred school campuses from reopening this fall in counties that are on the state's coronavirus monitoring list due to high case counts or other metrics reflecting the transmission the virus in the county.
"The science and data is guiding the decision-making and although discouraging, it's in the best interest to help protect the health and safety of our children, teachers and staff and their families they go home to every night," states Dr. Ying-Ying Goh.
This decision will be reconsidered once the case rate falls to the levels recommended by the State.
The Pasadena Health Department will continue to work with all of our partners across the County to implement the infection control strategies we know effectively reduce community transmission and case rates so that schools can re-open for in-person instruction as soon as the data and science tell us it's safer to do so.
While all schools, public and private, across the County are closed for in-person instruction of students, teachers, staff and administrators are allowed to return to school buildings provided adults adhere to existing protocols that require physical distancing and infection control measures, including wearing face coverings.
Stay connected to the City of Pasadena! Visit us online at http://www.cityofpasadena.net; follow us on Twitter at @PasadenaGov, and Instagram and Facebook at @CityOfPasadena; or call the Citizen Service Center, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at (626) 744-7311
###