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Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a setting out guidelines for opening child-care programs, day camps, and K-12 schools鈥攐r the report leaked, depending on who you read.聽

The guidelines break school reopening into three phases鈥攅ach with incrementally more relaxed rules, if infection rates are sufficiently low鈥攂ut the big picture provides some good news: the recommendations reveal a path forward for schools to reopen, albeit with restrictions.聽

High-touch surfaces, toys, drinking fountains, and school buses should be cleaned frequently, the CDC says; playgrounds and cafeterias should be closed or used in staggered shifts; field trips should be canceled; health screenings and body temperature checks for adults and students upon arrival should be considered; cloth masks should be mandatory for staff; and good air circulation throughout the school should be a priority. If someone in the building is later confirmed to be sick with Covid-19, the CDC writes, you might consider closing the school for one or two days to allow for cleaning.

Already a few U.S. states with low case and fatality rates鈥擬ontana, Idaho, and Wyoming鈥攈ave quietly announced reopening dates for some schools or school populations this year (students with IEPs, for example), though final decisions in Montana, for example, are . Most of the country鈥檚 K-12 schools will remain closed until at least the fall.

In parts of Western Europe and Asia, though, where Covid-19 touched down weeks, and in some cases months, earlier than in the U.S., the threat from the virus has gradually diminished鈥攁nd schools have reopened to welcome students and teachers into classrooms. Reports聽from major news publications聽indicate聽that even with the strict new rules, children and teachers are generally聽, but the reopenings have not been without controversy: In Denmark, some parents have protested, reported Patrick Kinsgley for , and in Tel Aviv some teachers have pushed back over health and safety concerns, wrote Steve Hendrix in .

A recent article by 鈥檚 Emily Cavanagh peeked inside the equivalent of K-12 schools operating around the world, from Taiwan to Denmark, China, Norway, and Israel, and looked at the common safety precautions in place. We also looked at recent coverage from The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, CNN, NBC,听补苍诲 The New York Times to get a better picture of the state of schools internationally.

Drop-Off and Entrance Protocols

We鈥檝e been hearing about staggered start times, or alternate day attendance, ever since California Gov. Gavin Newsom broached the topic in mid-April, as reported in the.

In Israel, as some schools began to open as the country鈥檚 infection rate declined, staggering arrival times has聽reduced the crowding that often occurs as buildings open, The Washington Post鈥檚 Hendrix reported. Other schools are increasing the number of school entry points to cut down on congestion.聽

Meanwhile, in Denmark, where many schools have been open since聽mid-April鈥攊t was 鈥渢he first country in the Western world to reopen its elementary schools since the start of the coronavirus pandemic,鈥� according to The New York Times鈥檚 Kingsley鈥攖here鈥檚 another big change: Parents aren鈥檛聽allowed in the building.

Temperature Scans For All

Teachers, students, and parents are subject to temperature scans at the door鈥攁nd in some countries, several times throughout the day鈥攐ften from temperature guns that measure heat coming off the body, though there are concerns about outside carefully controlled health-care settings.

The CDC guidelines recommend that schools develop protocols for isolating and transporting potentially sick adults or students: Schools should 鈥渋dentify an area to separate anyone who exhibits Covid-like symptoms鈥� and set up 鈥減rocedures for safely transporting anyone sick home or to a health-care facility.鈥� In Shanghai, special isolation rooms have been set aside to separate people suspected of having the virus from everyone else, according to Business Insider鈥檚 Cavanagh.

Protecting the vulnerable is crucial. In Israel, teachers and other school staff over the age of 65, and anyone with underlying health concerns, are encouraged to stay home, The Washington Post鈥檚 Hendrix reported. The CDC mirrors this guidance: 鈥淧rotect and support staff and students who are at higher risk for severe illness, such as providing options for telework and virtual learning.鈥�

Social Distancing Lives On

Social distancing throughout school is being enforced: In Denmark, Israel, and Norway, desks 鈥渁re spaced six feet apart, which is the official recommendation for effective social distancing,鈥� noted Cavanagh. Playgrounds, gym classes, school libraries, and even teachers鈥� lounges are closed in some countries.

Communal lunches are barred, in most cases, which is consistent with CDC guidelines: 鈥淚f a cafeteria or group dining room is typically used, serve meals in classrooms instead. Serve individually plated meals.鈥� In some schools, students are assigned seats in the cafeteria, which are arranged three feet apart. Buffet-style grazing is out; food is often plated and served individually, to reduce the obvious channels of transmission.

Small groups of students are often kept together for the whole day鈥攕ocial mixing is discouraged鈥攁nd are sequestered in a single classroom to avoid congregating in hallways. In Denmark, many classes are conducted outdoors or in outdoor tents, where social distancing measures are easier to accommodate, according to , , and others.

Sanitize, and Then Sanitize Again

Many, though not all, schools require masks for adults and students, and hand washing and sanitizing are frequent. 鈥淚n Denmark, schools have installed handwashing stations outside of the buildings and students have to wash their hands at least once an hour,鈥� Cavanagh writes, while in Norway classrooms, toys, and frequently touched surfaces are now sanitized twice daily. In another safety measure, notes Kingsley about Danish schools: 鈥淭ea ladies have the new task of touring the school with disinfectant, cleaning each door handle at least twice during school hours.鈥�

Contributing editor Sarah Gonser provided additional聽reporting for聽this article.