CHESAPEAKE, Va. - As parents get their kids ready to head back to school in a few weeks, the CDC has eased some COVID restrictions.
The biggest one has to deal with quarantining. Regardless of vaccination status if someone is exposed to COVID-19 and doesn't have symptoms, the CDC no longer recommends they quarantine, but instead recommends they wear a mask for ten days.
In Virginia, Gov. Youngkin's administration already made the same recommendations for schools in the upcoming school year.
"Right at this moment, we have high levels of immunity, which we know are really effective at preventing severe disease," said Dr. Bill Petri, an infectious disease expert from the University of Virginia.
The quarantining could mean big changes for the upcoming school year.
"That's because that's so disruptive - one child in the classroom and then the children in that classroom who have been exposed having to quarantine at home is judge hugely disruptive to education," said Petri.
While many may no longer think about it, the CDC is also no longer emphasizing social distancing.
"We should move on and continue to get back to our normal lives. Social distancing wasn't as important as the therapeutics and the vaccines we have out there now," said Dr. Right Light from TPMG Greenbrier Family Medicine.
News 3 reached out to the school districts of the seven cities of Hampton Roads. Of those who responded, Portsmouth Schools said they are still finalizing protocols.
Hampton Schools said it appears their protocols fit in with the CDC's. Newport News said they're following the guidelines put out by the Virginia Dept. of Health last month.
