SLO County schools given green light for in-person instruction

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. - Schools in San Luis Obispo County have been given the go-ahead to reopen with some in-person instruction as the County passes an important milestone on Tuesday.

San Luis Obispo County Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said Tuesday that K-12 schools now have the option to reopen with some modified in-person instruction, as long as it follows the criteria listed by the State of California's Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

“Because we have kept our COVID-19 transmission relatively stable, we have been consistently in the red tier for two weeks now,” said Dr. Borenstein in a news release. “Local schools are not required to reopen for in-person instruction, but they may choose to reopen if they implement the State’s COVID-19 guidance for schools and school-based programs.”

The State of California says schools can reopen for in-person instruction once their county has been in the red tier for at least two weeks. San Luis Obispo County hit that mark on Tuesday.

State guidelines say that schools that open during this time are not required to close if the county moves back into the purple widespread tier. If the county does fall back into that tier, schools are encouraged to consider increasing screening and testing of staff.

Many schools in San Luis Obispo County have opted to remain closed through the end of the year, but some districts could approve reopening in the coming days.

Anyone with questions for the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education should visit their website.

For updates on COVID-19 in San Luis Obispo County, visit ReadySLO.org.