Peoria Standard

Congressman Darin LaHood is agreeable to reopening schools based on the Centers for Disease Control Prevention’s protocols.

“The science is clear,” LaHood said on Twitter. “Reopen the schools. Let’s put our kids first.”

According to the guidelines released by the CDC, “students, teachers, and staff should be required to wear masks at all times and should maintain distances of at least 6 feet from one another as much as possible, with students divided into small groups that don’t mix with one another,” The Wall Street Journal reported.

In addition to the guideline listed above, proper hand-washing practices, and cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities are also required. The guidelines stress coordination with health departments for necessary contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine to mitigate transmission of the virus in case someone has been infected.

In January, LaHood advocated for the lifting of the youth and high school athletic restrictions. He urged Gov. J.B. Pritzker to allow youth to go back to sports.

In a letter he wrote to the governor, LaHood referred to some states throughout the country that "have safely and successfully completed athletic seasons, while Illinois has sat on the sidelines."  

“I continue to ask that you release updated guidance, provide a comprehensive plan on reopening all sports state-wide, and empower local school districts and health officials to help determine what is best in their area,” LaHood told Pritzker.