Pursuant to prior guidance released, school administrators have or should immediately take steps to slow the spread of respiratory infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

CDPH has recommended implementing the following steps:

• Review and update comprehensive school safety plans, including continuity plans for teaching and learning if students are absent from school.
• Exclude students, teachers, or staff who have a travel history over the course of the last 14 days to an area identified by the CDC as Level 3 Travel Health Notice (see Evaluating and Reporting Persons Under Investigation by the CDC). Additionally, exclude those who have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 from the school for 14 days from the day of their last exposure.
• Send students, teachers, and staff who present with fever and/or respiratory infection symptoms home immediately. Separate them from others until they go home. When feasible, identify a “sick room” through which others do not regularly pass.
• Coordinate with all partner organizations serving students to ensure consistent practices.
• Encourage flu vaccine for those persons over 6 months of age who have not had it this season.
• Develop a plan to communicate with the school community.
• Contact your county emergency operations center if it has been is established or your local public health department immediately if you notice any concerning clusters of respiratory disease or spikes in absenteeism. For contact information, please search the local public health department website.
• Encourage all students, families, and staff to take everyday preventive actions:
  • Stay home when sick.
  • Remain at home until fever has been gone for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines.
  • Seek immediate medical care if symptoms become more severe, e.g., high fever or difficulty breathing.
  • Use "respiratory etiquette."
    • Cover cough with a tissue or sleeve. See CDC’s Cover Your Cough page for multilingual posters and flyers, posted at the bottom of webpage.
    • Provide adequate supplies within easy reach, including tissues and no-touch trash cans.
    • Wash hands frequently.
    • Encourage hand washing by students and staff through education, scheduled time for handwashing, and the provision of adequate supplies.
    • Enhance cleaning consistent with CDC guidance (see Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations).

Scenario II: Measures to be taken if there are two or more community transmission cases of COVID-19, but no individuals within the school test positive.

If the local public health department has confirmed two or more community transmission cases, but no individuals (staff or students) at the school have tested positive for COVID-19, in addition to the items outlined in Phase I, CDPH recommends school administrators implement the following steps:

• Teachers and staff with any fever and/or respiratory infection symptoms should not come to work. Teachers and staff should self- screen (i.e., check themselves for subjective fever and/or respiratory symptoms such as cough) for respiratory infection symptoms each morning before interacting with students.
• Ensure sick leave policies for those allow teachers and staff to stay home if they have symptoms of respiratory infection.
• Limit visitors to the school by not allowing those with symptoms of fever and/or respiratory infection or who have a travel history over the course of the last 14 days to an area identified by the CDC as Level 3 Travel Health Notice.
• Consider alternates to congregate or group programming within the school including any large or communal activities such as assemblies. Alternate approaches which limit close contact may include conducting assemblies via webcasts or intercom announcements.
• Consider implementing staggered recess times to limit the number of students who are together; and if possible, group recess by classrooms.
• Consider relaxing requirements for a doctor’s note for the child to return to school after illness. <.li>

Scenario III: Measures to be taken if one student, teacher or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 and exposed others at the school.

If one student, teacher or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 and exposed others at the school, CDPH recommends that school administrators implement the following steps:

• In consultation with the local public health department, the appropriate school official may consider if school closure is warranted and length of time based on the risk level within the specific community as determined by the local public health officer.
• In consultation with the local public health department, school officials may determine readmission criteria after the school closures.
• Implement communication plans for school closure to include outreach to students, parents, teachers, staff, and the community.
  • Include information for parents regarding labor laws, information regarding Disability Insurance, Paid Family Leave, and Unemployment Insurance.
  • California Labor and Workforce Development Guidance:
  • 1. Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Resources for Employers and Workers
  • 2. The California Employment Development Department’s Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) web page
  • California Labor Commissioner’s Office FAQs

  Closing schools is a difficult decision as it has impacts on families and employers. The state will continue to assess the situation and provide information as needed.

  • Provide guidance to parents, teachers and staff reminding them of the importance of community social distancing measures while school is closed, including discouraging students or staff from gathering elsewhere. Community social distancing measures include canceling group activities or events, religious services, after-school classes and sporting events.
  • Consider developing a plan for continuity of education, medical and social services, and meal programs and establish alternate mechanisms for these to continue.
  • Meal programs can continue to offer meals when school is closed. More information is available on the CDE’s Nutrition What’s New web page.
  • Maintain regular communications with the local public health department.
  • Consult CDC guidelines (see Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations) for schools to determine what additional cleaning protocols, if any, should be deployed at the school prior to reopening the school.
  • Determine the timing of return of students and staff, and any additional steps needed for the school to reopen, in consultation with the local public health department.

Scenario IV: Measures to be taken if multiple schools within a school district have a student, teacher or staff member test positive for COVID-19.

If multiple schools within the school district have a student, teacher or staff member test positive for COVID-19, the school administrator should consult with local public health officials for guidance on additional school closures.

If it is determined that all schools within the school district should be closed for instruction, CDPH recommends the following:

• In consultation with the local public health department, the school administrator may determine if additional school closures and what length of time is warranted based on the risk level within the specific community as determined by the local public health officer.
• Develop communication plans for school closure to include outreach to students, parents, teachers, staff, and the community.
• Provide guidance to parents, teachers and staff reminding them of the importance of community social distancing measures while school is closed, including discouraging students or staff from gathering elsewhere. Community social distancing measures include canceling group activities or events, religious services, after-school classes and sporting events.
• Consider developing a plan for continuity of education, medical and social services, and meal programs and establish alternate mechanisms for these to continue.
• Maintain regular communications with the local public health department.
• Work with the local public health department to determine what additional cleaning protocols, if any, should be deployed at the school prior to reopening the school.
• Determine the timing of return of students and staff, and any additional steps needed for the school to reopen, in consultation with the local public health department.

The CDE and CDPH would urge schools to ensure students’ and staffs’ privacy to help prevent discrimination or unnecessary stigmatization. For additional information or questions regarding medically fragile populations, programs, or funding implications, please contact the CDE.

Pursuant to prior guidance released, campus administrators have or should immediately take steps to slow the spread of respiratory infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

CDPH has recommended implementing the following steps:

• Review and update emergency operations plans (EOPs), including continuity plans for teaching and learning if students are excluded from campus.
• Exclude students, faculty, or staff who have a travel history over the course of the last 14 days to an area identified by the CDC as Level 3 Travel Health Notice (see CDC’s Evaluating and Reporting Persons Under Investigation). Additionally, exclude those who have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 from the campus for 14 days from the day of their last exposure.
• Send students, faculty, and staff who present with fever and/or respiratory infection symptoms home immediately. When feasible, identify a "sick room" through which others do not regularly pass.
  • Separate the individual as much as possible from others and make arrangements for the individual to go home as soon as possible, and
  • If the institution is a college or university and the individual resides in a group setting, make arrangements for the individual to be placed in a private room with a private bathroom.
  • Encourage flu vaccine for those who have not had it this season.
  • Develop a communications plan to use with the campus community.
  • Contact your county emergency operations center if it has been established or your local public health department immediately if you notice any concerning clusters of respiratory disease or spikes in absenteeism. For contact information, please search the local public health department website.
  • Encourage all students, faculty, and staff to take everyday preventive actions:
    • Stay home when sick.
    • Remain at home or in your dorm until fever has been gone for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines.
    • Seek immediate medical care if symptoms become more severe, e.g., high fever or difficulty breathing.
    • Use "respiratory etiquette".
    • >Cover cough with a tissue or sleeve. See CDC’s Cover Your Cough page for multilingual posters and flyers, posted at the bottom of the webpage.
  • Provide adequate supplies within easy reach, including tissues and no-touch trash cans.
  • Wash hands frequently.
  • Encourage hand washing by students and staff through education, scheduled time for handwashing, and the provision of adequate supplies.
  • Provide alcohol based hand sanitizers to supplement hand washing.
  • Enhance cleaning consistent with CDC guidance.

Scenario II: Measures to be taken if there are two or more community transmission cases of COVID-19, but no staff or students test positive.

If the local public health department has confirmed two or more community transmission cases, but no individuals (staff or students) at campus have tested positive for COVID-19, in addition to the items outlined in Phase I, CDPH recommends campus administrators implement the following steps:

• Faculty and staff with any fever and/or respiratory infection symptoms should not be at work. Faculty and staff should self-screen (check themselves for subjective fever and/or respiratory symptoms such as cough) for respiratory infection symptoms each morning before interacting with students.
• Ensure sick leave policies allow faculty and staff to stay home if they have symptoms of respiratory infection.
• Limit visitors to the campus by not allowing those with symptoms of fever and/or respiratory infection or who have a travel history over the course of the last 14 days to an area identified by the CDC as Level 3 Travel Health Notice.
• Consider alternates to congregate programming within the campus including any large or communal activities.

Scenario III: Measures to be taken if one student, teacher or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 and exposed others on campus.

If one student, faculty or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, and exposed others on campus CDPH recommends that campus administrators implement the following steps:

• Isolate the student, faculty or staff and immediately contact your local public health department immediately.
• If the student, faculty or staff lives on campus in a congregate setting isolate the individual in consultation with the local public health department.
• Develop communication plans for campus closure to include outreach to students, faculty, staff, and the community.
• Provide guidance to students, faculty and staff reminding them of the importance of community social distancing measures while campus is closed, including discouraging students or staff from gathering elsewhere. Community social distancing measures include canceling group activities or events, religious services, after-campus classes and sporting events.
• Consider developing a plan for continuity of education, medical and social services, and meal programs and establish alternate mechanisms for these to continue.
• Maintain regular communications with the local public health department.
• Consult CDC guidelines to determine what additional cleaning protocols, if any, should be deployed at the campus prior to reopening the campus.
• Determine the timing of return of students and staff, and any additional steps needed for the campus to reopen, in consultation with the local public health department.

Scenario IV: Measures to be taken if multiple students, teachers or staff members test positive for COVID-19 on a campus.

If more than five students, faculty, or staff on a campus test positive for COVID-19, the campus administrator should consult with local public health officials for guidance on closing the campus.

• In consultation with the local public health department, the campus administrator may determine campus closure and what length of time is warranted based on the risk level within the specific community as determined by the local public health officer.
  • Develop communication plans for campus closure to include outreach to students, faculty, staff, and the community.
  • Provide guidance to students, faculty and staff reminding them of the importance of community social distancing measures while campus is closed, including discouraging students or staff from gathering elsewhere. Community social distancing measures include canceling group activities or events, religious services, after-campus classes and sporting events.
  • Consider developing a plan for continuity of education, medical and social services, and meal programs and establish alternate mechanisms for these to continue.
  • Maintain regular communications with the local public health department.
  • Work with the local public health department to determine what additional cleaning protocols, if any, should be deployed at the campus prior to reopening the campus.
  • Determine the timing of return of students and staff, and any additional steps needed for the campus to reopen, in consultation with the local public health department.

  Please note that there have been reports of students and others being stigmatized. We urge institutions to ensure students’ and staffs’ privacy to help prevent discrimination.

Mass gatherings [footnote: "Mass gatherings are events, including religious services, where large numbers of people are within an arm’s length of one another. They do not include typical office environments or stores."] and large community events bring people from multiple communities into close contact with each other and have the potential to increase COVID-19 transmission. One method to slow the spread of respiratory virus infections, including COVID-19, is by increasing social distancing (reduce close contact). The goals of this guidance are: (1) to protect people attending and working at the event and the local community from COVID-19 infection; and (2) to reduce community transmission and introductions of COVID-19 into new communities.

Below CDPH outlines two (2) scenarios that should be considered by event organizers.

Scenario I: CDPH recommends for mass gatherings and large community events in counties without evidence of community transmission, organizers should follow these steps:

• As the COVID-19 situation is evolving, event organizers should create an emergency contingency plan for how to modify, cancel, or postpone their mass gathering or large community event if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in their community.
• Events may still need to be modified, canceled, or postponed if participants are traveling from communities with COVID-19 outbreaks.
• Event organizers should:
  • Collaborate and coordinate with community partners including the local public health department, hotels where participants are staying, airlines, the event venue, and other partners.
  • Use event messaging and communications to promote everyday preventive health messages to your participants and staff, which include:
    • Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
    • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve, then throw the tissue in the trash.
    • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
    • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
    • Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily.
    • Recommend that participants minimize close contact (e.g., recommending no hand shaking or hugging)
    • Promote messages that discourage people who are sick from attending events. Create refund policies or remote participation capability such as live stream that permit participants the flexibility to stay home when they are sick, need to care for sick household members, or are at high risk for complications from COVID-19.
  • Provide COVID-19 prevention supplies at your events, to the extent supplies are available. Plan to have extra supplies on hand for event staff and participants, including sinks with soap, hand sanitizers, and tissues. Promote proper and frequent hand hygiene.
  • Isolate staff or participants in a designated space who become ill with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 at the event and provide a clean disposable procedure facemask, to the extent available, to wear for those who become ill. It is not necessary to distribute masks to healthy participants.
  • Implement a strategy to prevent the theft of prevention supplies.
  • CDPH does not recommend cancelation of community events at this time if no COVID-19 cases exist within the community.

Scenario II: CDPH recommends for mass gatherings and large community events in counties with evidence of community transmission, organizers should follow these steps: