While things have been relatively quiet in Madison, Washington DC has been a busy place. Here’s the third in a series of updates on the most noteworthy developments.
Centers for Disease Control Publishes Re-Opening Guidelines
Last week, the CDC published guidelines for reopening the economy, including schools and child care centers, in a 62-page document titled, “CDC Activities and Initiatives Supporting the COVID-19 Response and the President’s Plan for Opening America Up Again.”
The CDC advised, “All decisions about following these recommendations should be made in collaboration with local health officials and other State and local authorities who can help assess the current level of mitigation needed based on levels of COVID-19 community transmission and the capacities of the local public health and healthcare systems, among other relevant factors.”
The specific recommendations regarding schools are found at pages 42-45. Guidelines for child care programs are found at pages 38-41.
USDA Extends Nutrition Program Waivers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture extended three nationwide waivers for schools and local nutrition programs to make it easier to feed eligible children through August 31, 2020. The initial waivers were set to expire on June 30. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) waivers provide the following flexibility:
- Non-Congregate Feeding: FNS is allowing meals to be served to children outside of the normally required group setting to support social distancing;
- Parent Pickup: FNS is allowing parents and/or guardians to pick up meals and bring them home to their children; and
- Meal Times: FNS is waiving requirements that meals be served at certain standard times to allow for “grab-and-go” options. This also allows for multiple days-worth of meals to be provided at once. The USDA also said it is working quickly to approve states for Pandemic-EBT, which “provides food-purchasing benefits, equal to the value of school meals, to households with children who would otherwise be receiving free or reduced-price meals at school.”
