Kids are back in school and as the COVID-19 virus and the Delta variant continue, the Canyon Chronicle has highlighted some recommendations and requirements from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The CDC in its update recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. LAUSD has chosen to adopt one of the most aggressive protection protocols for the 2021-22 school year. Students who returned to full-time, in-person learning this week are required to wear masks, observe physical distancing, and undergo daily health checks and testing in order to obtain a “Daily Pass,� an online, one-stop-shop tool for students, parents, employees, and others who are regularly on campus, When they answer the Daily Health Check screening questions prior to arriving at school or a District office, they generate a Daily Pass QR code, where parents are able to manage the consents for testing for their child. Stationary test sites and traveling teams will continue to provide COVID testing. To ensure the safest environment possible, Los Angeles Unified is working with experts in their respective fields to conduct regular COVID-19 testing and community engagement for employees and students. All employees and students, regardless of vaccination status, are required to take a baseline test within 14 days of returning to their school to help determine the prevalence of the virus in the school community and will prevent anyone with a positive test from entering a campus. Fully vaccinated students and employees are not required to test. Students who do not wish to participate in the COVID-19 testing program will not be permitted to return to school in-person, and may enroll in the District’s online independent study program offered through City of Angels (cityofangelsschool.org/). Classrooms and facilities are electrostatically cleaned top to bottom, air filtration systems have been upgraded with the equivalent of N-95 membranes, and personal protective equipment is provided to all individuals on the campus or in a classroom. As additional safety practices are shown to be effective and appropriate for schools, Los Angeles Unified will incorporate those practices as well. The District will require employees to be vaccinated. As part of LAUSD’s efforts to provide the safest possible environment in which to learn and work, all District employees, Partners, Contractors, and other adults who provide services on District property will be mandated to be fully-vaccinated against COVID-19 no later than October 15, 2021 as a condition of continued employment/service. The Los Angeles Unified School District will update its COVID-19 site as more information becomes available. For more LAUSD FAQs: (achieve.lausd.net/covidfaq); CDC: cdc.gov/coronavirus. Tracking COVID-19: As of August 17, California has 4,043,407 confirmed cases of COVID-19, resulting in 64,201 deaths. California Department of Public Health: (cdph.ca.gov).