JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – On Friday, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) released updated COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 schools for the 2021-2022 school year. Health leaders said the guidance is consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

• All eligible students, teachers, and staff 12 years of age and older should receive COVID-19 vaccination.    
• Masks should be worn indoors in school settings by all individuals (age 2 and older) who are not fully vaccinated. 
• Schools should maintain at least three feet of physical distance between students within classrooms, combined with indoor mask wearing by people who are not fully vaccinated, to reduce transmission risk.
• Routine screening testing of asymptomatic unvaccinated students, teachers and staff is recommended as an additional measure to prevent further transmission.  
• Schools should continue to isolate COVID-19 infected students, teachers, and staff and continue contact tracing to identify exposed individuals for quarantine and exclusion from the school setting. 
• All students, teachers and staff who have symptoms of any infectious illness, regardless of vaccination status, should stay home from school and be evaluated by their healthcare provider. 
• As a reminder, fully vaccinated students, teachers and staff: 
  • Do not have to wear a mask when indoors; 
  • Do not have to quarantine or be excluded from the school setting if they have COVID-19 exposure; and 
  • Do not have to be tested unless symptomatic.