Boston's back-to-school COVID guidance as a new strain spreads

Driving the news: The Boston Public Health Commission recommends that families have rapid test kits at home in case anyone feels sick or has been exposed to COVID-19.

• The commission suggests children wear face masks in crowded indoor settings, or if they are immunocompromised or sick with COVID-19.
• Like most U.S. schools, Boston Public Schools doesn't have mask mandates, but recommends that people exposed to or sick with COVID-19 wear a mask after returning from isolation.

The big picture: Rebounding case counts and the prospect of another "tripledemic" of respiratory illness are causing concern and prompting districts across the U.S. to walk a tightrope as they reevaluate protocols, Axios' Adriel Bettelheim and Maya Goldman report.

Zoom in: In Boston, the commission also recommends families stay up to date with vaccines for COVID-19, the flu, pertussis, measles and varicella.

Pro tip: Its standing clinics at the Bruce C. Bolling Building in Roxbury and at Boston City Hall offer boosters and rapid test kits.

• The clinics will continue running from 12-6pm Thursday through Saturday.