The adoption of new COVID-19 guidelines for schools has received the crucial backing of the New York State United Teachers labor umbrella group as school districts in the coming months look toward a full reopening of schools. 

The guidelines announced by the state Department of Health largely adopt the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for school buidlings and social distancing rules while also setting immunization rules. 

The teachers' organization also pointed to the ventilation standards for schools, as well as rules for mask wearing and ventiliation requirements for the buildings. 

“In adopting new physical distancing guidelines in line with CDC recommendations, the state is making it crystal clear that distancing is only one part of a layered mitigation strategy," NYSUT said in a statement. "These revised guidelines not only draw distinctions between when it’s appropriate to have 3 feet of distancing and when 6 feet of distancing is still necessary, they also mandate masks at all times and lay out specific ventilation recommendations while maintaining important provisions for cleaning, hygiene and contact tracing."

Many schools in New York have been operating under a hybrid model of some students receiving in-person instruction and others learning remotely during the pandemic. COVID-19 testing is done in some areas when a positive rate in a community hits a certain threshold.

The arrangement has strained resources for schools and families alike, and President Joe Biden's administration is pushing to fully reopen schools across the country as the vaccine becomes more available this spring. 

Still, the teachers' union wants further safety assurances, including strengthened COVID-19 testing protocols for all school districts as part of a broader reopening.

“There also is more to be done to strengthen safety protocols," the group said. "While the state recommends that districts ‘strongly consider’ implementing screening testing, we believe there is zero excuse for all districts not to implement routine testing as soon as possible. The federal government is making hundreds of millions of dollars available to New York schools explicitly for this purpose. It’s long past time to get this done."