COVID Schools Team

Red Tier Reopening and COVID Case/Contact Tracing

Presentation Overview

• How to Reopen During Red Tier• COVID Case Reporting• COVID Case and Contact Examples• Q&A

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State of California’s Safe Schools For All Hubschools.covid19.ca.gov

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State of California’s Safe Schools For All Hubschools.covid19.ca.gov

• Consolidates resources and information related to schools and COVID-19 • The COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Instruction Framework & Public

Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year replaces the following:

• COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Schools and School-Based Programs (first published in May 2020; last updated August 3, 2020)

• The COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Learning Framework for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year (July 17, 2020)

• The Elementary Education Waiver process and the associated School Waiver Letter and Cover Form and Local Health Officer Waiver Notice Form (all issued on August 3, 2020)

• CDPH Schools Frequently Asked Questions (first issued August 3, 2020; last updated October 20, 2020)

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State of California’s Safe Schools For All Hubschools.covid19.ca.gov

• The COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Instruction Framework & Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year does not change or supersede the following:

• CDPH Guidance Related to Cohorts COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Schools and School-Based Programs (first issued August 25, 2020; last updated September 4, 2020)

• CDPH Guidance on Outdoor and Indoor Youth and Recreational Adult Sports (first issued December 14, 2020; last updated March 4, 2021)

• In-person instruction for special education and targeted services may continue (regardless of school general ed reopening status) as long as cohort guidance is followed.

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Changes to In-person Instruction Guidance (Requirements)• Face coverings required for all staff and K-12 students unless

exempted• Classroom spacing

• Teacher desks and other staff desks should be spaced at least 6 feet away from staff desks and student desks

• Space student chairs at least 6 feet apart except where 6 feet of distance is not possible after a good-faith effort has been made and can be demonstrated

• Student chairs cannot be less than 4 feet apart

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New Topics or Changes to In-person Guidance (Recommendations)• Strongly encourage stable groups for middle and high school (student

group of fixed membership that does not mix with others)• Three-ply, disposable surgical masks are more effective than cloth and

recommended for staff with routine contact with others• Routine cleaning instead of routine disinfection

• Transmission from objects and surfaces is lower risk vs close contact to a case• Frequent disinfection can pose a health risk to children due to strong

chemicals• Disinfection recommended only for spaces where case spent most time,

should be performed when students are not present

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New Topics or Changes to In-person Guidance (Recommendations)• Symptomatic staff/student criteria for return to in-person instruction

(updated “Schools F/U Action Grid” posted on cchealth.org):• Negative COVID test, OR• Provider has documented that symptoms are typical of underlying health

condition (asthma, allergies), OR• Provider has a diagnosis other than COVID, OR• 10 days have passed since symptoms started

• CDPH recommended testing and intervals for staff and students

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CDPH Recommendations:Whom to Test and Intervals• PCR or antigen testing of staff

and/or students is not a requirement for remaining open or reopening

• Recommended testing groups and frequency described in guidance and summarized in Table 3

• Testing should complement other prevention activities and should not be used as stand-alone tool to prevent in-school transmission

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New Requirements for All California K-12 Schools (Public and Private)• Beginning January 14, 2021: notify the local public health

department when a student or employee tests positive for COVID and was on campus within the 10 days before the test

• Please report to Contra Costa COVID Schools Team via online intake form, priority to cases who were on campus during infectious period (2 days before test specimen collection date if asymptomatic or 2 days before symptoms started)

• Beginning January 25, 2021: report online your LEA’s in-person instruction status to CDPH every other Monday

• Follow reopening process based on county tier status

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School Reopening Steps by Tier

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LEA/School Steps to Reopen for In-person Instruction During Red Tier• K-12 may reopen after our county has been assigned Red Tier by the CDPH• 3-week reopening window begins after Red Tier assignment• School may begin phased reopening at any time during the 3-week window• Should county be assigned Purple Tier after 3-week window ends, a school

that began to reopen during the 3-week window may continue reopening and does not need to close

• A school that did not reopen any grades during the 3-week window must wait for the next Red Tier 3-week reopening window (or follow Purple Tier CSP process for K-6)

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COVID-19 Safety Plan (CSP)

• Any LEA or private school planning to provide in-person instruction during the 20-21 school year needs to prepare and post a COVID-19 Safety Plan (CSP)

• LEA prepares one CSP on behalf of all schools, with site-specific precautions noted to address considerations unique to a specific school site

• CSP summarizes LEA/school activities in role as employer and educator:• CSP includes Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Program (CPP)

• Template CPP available on CDPH School Hub: www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/CPP.doc

• CSP includes COVID-19 School Guidance Checklist • www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/COVID-

19/COVID19_School_Guidance_Checklist.pdf

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LEA/School Steps to Reopen for In-person Instruction During Red Tier• COVID-19 School Guidance Checklist and COVID Prevention Program

(CPP)• Must post School Guidance Checklist and CPP on website for at least 5 days

before reopening• Satisfied if CSP checklist and CPP already posted for K-6 reopening during Purple Tier

• No CSP submission to LHD or CDPH required and no approval needed• Consultation with labor, parent, community orgs recommended but not

required• CDPH recommends posting school reopening plan online but not required

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Reporting Requirements for All Reopened Schools• Continue to report to CDPH on biweekly basis LEA’s in-person

instruction status

• Report promptly to the Local Health Department (LHD) any cases among students and staff

• If LEA reports students and staff via different pathways (HR/Risk Management reports staff but school admin report students), identify ways to report both staff and students to the LHD within 1-2 business days to help prevent further spread and potential outbreaks

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COVID-19 Response Team

• Each school should identify 2-3 consistent staff members who will be assigned to COVID-19 response

• Roles:• Collect information about who may have been exposed to a case using work

rosters (and other means)• Communicate with employee, local health department and community (if

necessary)• Coordinate flow of information between the local health department and the

workplace and those who need to know about potential exposures and next steps

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The COVID Schools Grid for Suspected or Confirmed Cases and Contacts

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Case Investigation and Contact Tracing

• School investigator contacts the school and provides guidance• Contacts entered into an Exposure Event

• Contact information is sent to contact tracing team to reach out to monitor—

• Contacts remain open through quarantine and if + noted, becomes new case

• Exposure Event is monitored for 14 days. If no further + cases—closed

• If 3 or more cases identified in 14 days, identified as an outbreak

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COVID School Scenario #1

Student or Staff with COVID-19 Symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, loss of taste or smell, difficulty breathing)

Action:•Send home•Recommend symptomatic student/staff get tested or the person talk with their provider to

identify the symptom(s) cause•If not tested and do not see provider, can return to school 10 days after symptom onset•School/classroom remain open

Communication:•No action needed

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COVID School Scenario #2

Student or Staff is Close Contact* with a Confirmed COVID-19 CaseAction:

•Send home

•If contact in community, contact tracing unit at LHD will reach out

•Advise contact to ANSWER THE PHONE

•Quarantine for 10 days from last exposure date - DO NOT ALLOW BACK TO SCHOOL FOR 10 DAYS

•Recommend testing (will not shorten 10-day quarantine)

•If positive test during quarantine, must isolate 10 days from symptom onset or test date

•School/classroom remain open*A contact is defined as a person who is <6 feet from a case for >15 minutes. In some school situations, it may be difficult to determine whether individuals have

met this criterion and an entire cohort, classroom, or other group may need to be considered exposed, particularly if people have spent time together.

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COVID School Scenario #3

Student or Staff is Confirmed COVID-19 Case InfectionAction:

•Notify the local public health department (COVID.Schools@cchealth.org)

•Isolate case and exclude from school for 10 days from symptom onset or test date

•Identify close contacts, quarantine & exclude exposed contacts for 10 days after the last date the case was present at school while infectious

•Disinfection and cleaning of classroom and primary spaces where case spent significant time (as necessary)

•School remains open

Communication:

•School community notification of a known case (letter to exposed and non-exposed)

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COVID School Scenario #4

Student or Staff Tests Negative After Symptoms

Action:• May return to school 24 hours after symptoms resolve• School/classroom remain open

Communication:• Consider school community notification if prior awareness of testing

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COVID School Scenario #5

Student or Staff is a Household Member of Someone Who is Quarantined (i.e. a "contact of a contact")

Action:

•No action needed

•Staff and student should be encouraged to monitor for symptoms

•If quarantined HH member becomes symptomatic, staff or student should also quarantine

Communication:

•No action needed

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COVID School Scenario #6

Student or Staff is Reported to be a Contact to a Positive Case via Social Media or Other (i.e. third-party reports, rumors, etc.)

Action:•No action needed, because reports cannot be substantiated•Health department cannot confirm/deny this information due to privacy laws•Testing may be advised—optimal time is 5-7 days after potential exposure

Communication:•No action needed; however, school may want to issue statement about why no action is being taken

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COVID School Scenario #7

Student or Staff is Not Close Contact, But Was in Proximity and May Have Heard About Case

Example- office meeting with COVID case for less than 15 minutes, more than 6 feet away, masked.

Action:•No action needed, but may consider general notification to the individuals without sharing

specific information

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Contra Costa Health Services Contact Information and Online Resources

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• COVID Schools Team: Amy Nazarenko-Barbero, Pamela Anderson-Moore, Erin Daisley, Eva Hansson, Mary Schuster, Jennifer Shore, Julie Whitfield, Paul Leung

• Email: Covid.Schools@cchealth.org• For school liaisons and administrators with suspected/confirmed cases or guidance questions

• School Case Reporting Intake Web Form

• COVID warmline for school administrators and school COVID liaisons : (925) 608-5315

• Multilingual COVID Call Center: (844) 729-8410• Option #8 for Schools; for community inquiries (parents, citizens, etc.)

• COVID Testing: (844) 421-0804

• School COVID Websites:• www.coronavirus.cchealth.org/for-schools-and-childcare• www.cccoe.k12.ca.us/news/spotlight/information_about_coronavirus

Questions?