Best Guesses on DC Preschool Protocol Come September?

[Anonymous]

Just homeschool keep your kids out of the political theater

[Anonymous]

Wally5 wrote:I realize that the DC preschool masking/testing/quarantining requirements have been discussed ad nauseum. But since we're days away from the city's indoor mask mandate expiring, and a week or so past the vaccine pass expiration for the general public, I'm wondering if someone with their ear to the ground at OSSE or DC Health or otherwise has an updated best guess about what preschools will generally be requiring in the fall. I'm being asked to put down a deposit at the French Maternal School ASAP for my now 2 year old who has been home with a nanny thus far.

Given the so-far less-than-promising data around the under-5 vaccine trials, the standard line that preschool directors give about masking "until the vaccine" seems quite silly and unwise at this stage. I frankly can't believe that so many schools are still masking kids outside, but rather than debate it, I'm mostly trying to make an educated guess about where we'll be in September.

Many thanks.

My best guess? Either the vaccine will be approved in the next ~3-4 months, or (less likely but plausible) the FDA will announce that they cannot & will not authorize an emergency use for <5'd (not because of lack of safety or effectiveness, but because it is a legitimate position to state that COVID is not an emergency for this age group).

So, the "until the vaccine" argument should be moot in either case. If they are waiting for full, non-emergency approval, I don't think masking until then is viable. If vaccines are available, hooray, goal post reached.

I think you'll get a good idea of how things might change depending on how preschools react to the rapidly shifting guidelines and attitudes in the coming month or two. If they don't budge, then you can be more pessimistic.

And if it were me, I'd put down a deposit and hope for the best. But I personally don't have the same strong objection to my preschooler wearing a mask that you do. I'm not pro-mask for <5, but I'm willing to go along and do think the masked preschool my kid is in servse her FAR better than a nanny. Even if I would prefer mask optional.