COVID-19 and health protocols is an issue the Worcester public schools will be facing as they return to learning in the fall. 

With thousands of students returning to in-person learning, school safety director Rob Pezzella says they have to make sure they reduce any spread of the delta variant.

Without the option for remote learning, he says the commissioner of education wants the school district to come up with a testing program for those who are identified as a close contact for COVID-19. 

Instead of sending them home, the commissioner wants the individual to be tested five consecutive days, and will only be sent home if they test positive.  

"This is going to be a huge challenge logistically speaking. We have family health center right now, we have a contract with them to where they are testing our students and staff at their facility or in our health offices, but now we are talking about possibly testing every day for five consecutive days. That is going to be a problem and an issue we are going to have to address," said Pezzella.

Pezzella says the board of health and school committee have the final say on what they'll do going forward. 

Next Thursday, the administration will sit down with them to discuss the best procedures, including testing and possibly vaccinations in schools. He says, currently, Worcester has no plans to mandate students and staff be vaccinated against COVID-19.