Local school districts prepare for students to return amid omicron

North Carolina school districts are working to adapt to new COVID-19 guidelines as hundreds of thousands of public school students across the state head back to class Monday after winter break.

But, some parents are concerned about sending their children back during the surge of the omicron variant.

"As the COVID-19 numbers are increasing, there’s not a whole lot of things that have been done to keep our kids safe in schools," said Christa Morrison, whose 6th grade daughter is high-risk.

The omicron variant was discovered in North Carolina just days before most school systems let out for the holiday break.

John Scarborough, who has a first grader in Wake County schools, said, "We're cautiously optimistic. We're all vaxxed. We all understand the science. We understand the risk."

Local pediatricians told WRAL News an outbreak in cases is to be expected the first few weeks of class.

Dr Hope Seidel, pediatrician with Cary Pediatrics, says vaccination among eligible children offers more infection control in the school setting.

"Kids who are eligible right now, the single biggest thing parents can do is to get their kids vaccinated," said Seidel.

Seidel said masking will be a key part in keeping children safe in class.

The state is updating guidance for students or staff:

As for testing, Wake County Schools will offer optional weekly testing on-campus.

When asked if delaying the return date was an option for Wake County schools, officials said any calendar change would have to happen at a public school board meeting. The next board meeting is Tuesday, meaning students will have already returned to class.

In the coming weeks, Chapel Hill Carrboro-City Schools plan to incorporate a "test to stay" program allowing asymptomatic people exposed to COVID-19 to take a test instead of quarantining.

Dr. Seidel says the classroom is the best place for children to learn, as long as safety measures are in place.

"We should be trying hard to get this under control in our community as much as we can," said Seidel.

The latest data from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows COVID-19 cases among children has increased by 50% since the start of December, with nearly 200,000 pediatric cases reported.

Doctors said they expected this following the holidays and winter months, hoping to see these numbers go down with mitigation strategies.

Wake County Public Schools will begin optional weekly testing at all schools in the new year, and are encouraging vaccination and testing before returning to class.