MCPS eliminates 5 percent COVID threshold to closer align with other large school systems

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — Three days after rolling out a new color-coded COVID-positivity model, Montgomery County Public Schools said it is eliminating the concept, effective immediately.

In a Friday afternoon letter to its entire school community, MCPS explained it wants to closer align with other large school systems across the country when it comes to keeping schools safe during the Omicron chapter of COVID. MCPS also noted that it reached this decision after the state of Maryland provided "clarifications" on the "appropriate use of thresholds for transitioning to virtual learning."

"The state of Maryland does not currently recommend any automatic trigger or threshold for the suspension of in-person learning," MCPS' letter said in part. "Therefore, MCPS will no longer use a threshold of 5% or more of unrelated students and staff in a school who test positive in a 14-day period to consider a transition to virtual learning."..

https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-public-schools-maryland-color-code-green-yellow-red-covid-positivity-threshold-virtual-learning-eliminates-stops-days