The School Re-entry Metrics and Protocols – developed by Governor Jim Justice, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, and the West Virginia Department of Education – provide a consistent tool to determine whether schools can hold in- person instruction and scheduled athletic and extracurricular activities. The protocols set forth in this document will be in effect so long as the state as a whole remains below a 5% positivity rate based on a seven-day rolling basis. This tool will assess community transmission. The color-coded system is driven by data and science to monitor the level of COVID-19 in each county. Once the disease reaches identified levels, counties must respond with mitigation to prevent further spread. The metrics provide county education and local health officials the opportunity to make local decisions within permissible guidelines. Communities are key in managing the transmission of COVID-19 so that school, athletic and extracurricular activities can begin as scheduled and continue uninterrupted.
On September 8, 2020, all counties identified as green and yellow may begin in-person instruction and may maintain this status as long as levels remain steady. Counties with orange or red levels will not be permitted to open to in-person instruction until yellow or green levels are reached on a seven-day rolling basis. After opening, if a county elevates to orange, it may continue to operate under the orange school re-entry protocols. If the county continues to elevate to red, in-person instruction will be suspended and will not resume until the county’s levels return to green or yellow.
For more information, visit wvde.us/reentrymetric
