Covid-19 News & Resources

The CDC revised its guidance for K-12 schools regarding the symptom screening of students. The CDC does not currently recommend universal symptom screening for K-12 schools. Parents or caregivers should be strongly encouraged to monitor their children for signs of infectious illness every day and keep them home when they are sick.  The CDC has created a helpful checklist for parents to use at home.
Screening procedures are available for students and staff who arrive with or develop symptoms during the course of the day. The Operations Section of the Recover, Redesign, Restart guide provides detailed considerations (PDF) for schools in developing such policies.  Sample health screenings and sample health entrance questionnaires are available from VDOE in English (Word) and Spanish (Word). 

If an individual answers YES to any of the screening questions at or before arriving at school, they should stay home and not enter the building. If a student or employee experiences symptoms of COVID-19 while at school, move the individual out of the classroom or group setting, isolate in a predetermined location, and inform the school nurse or school health staff member. School health staff must wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including N-95 face mask or surgical face mask, goggles and gloves before entering into the room to evaluate the individual. Call the parent or family member of the student/employee to pick up and take home, refer to a healthcare provider for evaluation and 10 days of isolation before returning to work or school. If symptoms persist or worsen they should contact their healthcare provider.  If there is a confirmed case of COVID 19 in a school, the local health department will work closely with school administrators to determine a course of action for their schools. Schools should follow the CDC Interim Guidance for K-12 for schools and use the School Decision Tree to determine school closing in collaboration with the local health department. Schools should follow CDC/EPA guidelines for cleaning/disinfecting of space or CDC, Everyday Steps, Steps When Someone is Sick, and Considerations for Employers (PDF). The VDH will work closely with the school to make environmental cleaning recommendations, conduct contact tracing, and investigate any potential exposures. 

The definition of exposure is the same for every setting and every type of classroom. When assessing a person’s risk of exposure to COVID-19, close contact means being within 6 feet of a person with COVID-19 while not wearing adequate personal protective equipment for ≥15 minutes. If someone is within six feet of a person with lab-confirmed COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more at a time, that person is considered to have been exposed. 

These decisions need to be made on a case-by-case basis and in consultation with the local health department.  The size of the class, extent of social distancing in place while the ill persons were present and infectious, extent of interaction and exposure in the area, and location of the case(s) in the class need to be assessed to determine the potential risk to others.  Recommendations will be based on these assessments of risk and how instruction can continue in as safe a manner as possible.

Schools should notify their local health department when outbreaks of COVID-19 in the school population are suspected or confirmed. Schools should work with their local health departments when cases of COVID-19 occur in teachers, staff, or students.  Areas of the school where ill individuals spent time while infectious might need to be closed temporarily for cleaning and disinfection while unaffected areas continue to function as usual.  Decisions about closure of a section of the school or the entire school will depend on the number of ill persons who have been sent home for a period of isolation and the number of exposed contacts who have been identified and placed into quarantine.  The extent of the school facility and teaching staff affected by these factors will be a factor in determining whether educational services can continue to be provided.

Yes. The size of groups gathering outdoors and the mixing of classrooms on the playground should be limited, as noted in Governor Northam’s Phase Guidance for Virginia Schools.  Routine maintenance of outdoor playgrounds is sufficient.  Equipment with high-touch surfaces, such as railings, handles, etc, should be cleaned and disinfected regularly. Children should practice hand hygiene before and after going to the playground.

All of the information in this table came from the Virginia Department of Education at  http://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/health_medical/office/covid-19-faq-reopening.shtml.