OMAHA- Officials with Omaha-area school districts are reviewing new federal and local COVID-19 guidance as they prepare for the upcoming school year.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, experts from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the American Academy of Pediatrics all have recommended that students and staff wear masks in school, regardless of their vaccination status.

With the highly contagious delta variant on the rise, the CDC on Tuesday recommended that even some vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in areas of the U.S. where the virus is surging.

The indoor spaces include schools, the agency said, meaning the agency is recommending that all teachers, staff and students wear masks in buildings this fall.

Some metro-area school districts already had released their COVID-19 safety protocols for the upcoming school year, but school officials on Wednesday said they are closely monitoring conditions. District officials have said plans could change.

Wednesday evening, OPS sent staff and families specifics on health and safety protocols for the upcoming school year. The district said many safety protocols from the 2020-21 school year will continue, such as frequent handwashing and enhanced disinfecting of high-touch surfaces, classrooms and shared materials.

OPS is recommending that everyone who is eligible be vaccinated against COVID-19. The district also is recommending that anyone who has not been vaccinated wear a mask while on district property.

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