Fully vaccinated students, teachers and staff members will not need to wear masks in Roman Catholic schools this fall, the Chicago Archdiocese announced Tuesday.

       The archdiocese said it is planning a return to “near-normal, pre-pandemic” operations, including the return of school Masses, all extracurricular activities and before- and after-school care programs.

       “We are excited to be resuming extracurricular activities and other operations that were halted during the pandemic,” Justin Lombardo, chief human resources officer and chair of the archdiocesan COVID-19 task force, said in a news release.

       Lombardo said in an email that the archdiocese “hope(s) there will be no need” for students and staff members to provide proof of vaccination in order to go unmasked in schools, but that the organization will continue to evaluate the situation with guidance from public health officials and medical advisers. A preliminary decision is expected to be made in August, he said.

       Guidelines regarding masks for unvaccinated people will be released by early August, the archdiocese said.

       Julie White delivers sanitizer to second graders arriving on the first day of school at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy on Sept. 2, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

       The archdiocese based its updated protocols on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Illinois Department of Public Health in addition to a team of medical advisers and a COVID-19 task force.

       The CDC released guidance earlier this month suggesting fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks in schools. But on Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its own guidance urging universal masking in schools for all students and staff members over the age of 2, regardless of vaccination status.

       “A significant portion of the student population is not yet eligible for vaccines, and masking is proven to reduce transmission of the virus and to protect those who are not vaccinated,” the organization said in a news release.

       Kids under 12 are still ineligible for any COVID-19 vaccine.

       “The AAP is a significant authority, one that last year recommended that the goal should be in-person learning, which obviously had an impact on our decision last school year,” Lombardo said. “We understand and hope that the AAP and the CDC will be forthcoming with some aligned guidance to assist everyone looking at this complex question.”

       Lombardo said the archdiocese will continue to encourage vaccinations for individuals over the age of 12 and that safety protocols will be reassessed throughout the year.

       Vaccinated students and employees will not have to quarantine if exposed to the virus as long as that policy remains consistent with CDC and local public health guidance, Lombardo said.

       Some safety measures will remain in place, the archdiocese said. Classrooms will maintain assigned seating charts to allow for targeted quarantines and will be organized to maintain 3 feet of physical distancing “whenever possible.” Schools will also maintain daily cleaning of high-traffic areas.

       Getaway driver in Hadiya Pendleton slaying sentenced to 42 years in prison

       12m

       Chicago expands travel advisory again and mayor warns restrictions could return as COVID-19 numbers creep up

       27m

       Breaking News Chicago expands travel advisory again and mayor warns restrictions could return as COVID-19 numbers creep up

       27m

       Chicago Cubs In divorce documents, Ben Zobrist says Julianna ‘coaxed’ him into returning to the Chicago Cubs, while she requests $4M of the $8M he forfeited while on leave

       Jul 19, 2021

       Nation & World Tom Barrack, chair of Trump inaugural committee, arrested on charges alleging he conspired to influence foreign policy positions to benefit UAE

       45m