DOE Fall 2022

COVID-19 Guidance

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, the DOE encourages all students and staff to get tested for COVID-19 before returning to school on November 28, regardless of vaccination status and especially if they plan to travel and/or attend large gatherings during the break. Additionally, with winter approaching and cases of respiratory illness such as flu(Open external link) and RSV(Open external link) on the rise, DOHMH continues to encourage getting your flu vaccine, mask-wearing while indoors, regular hand washing, etc. Please see the letters to families below.

 

This guidance provides best practice considerations for schools for the 2022-2023 school year to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19 among students and staff. 

  • Vaccination: Vaccination is the best way to reduce COVID-19 risk. Encourage up to date COVID-19 vaccination for everyone six months or older. 
    • Visit the vaccine finder page(Open external link) or call 877-829-4692 to find a location near you.
    • Up to date includes boosters for everyone who is eligible and additional primary shots for some immunocompromised people. See At-A-Glance COVID-19 Vaccination Schedules (cdc.gov). 
    • Vaccination Requirements:
      • Vaccination is still required for all visitors entering school buildings
      • Vaccination is still required for all DOE employees
      • Vaccination is still required for other individuals who work in DOE buildings
      • Vaccination is no longer required to participate in high-risk extracurricular activities including high-risk PSAL sports 
  • Daily Health Screener:
    • No longer required to enter school buildings 
  • Stay home if sick: Students and staff should stay home if they show any symptoms of COVID-19 or other illnesses and get tested for COVID-19. 
  • Isolate if COVID-19 positive: Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 5 days and can return to school on day 6 if they have no symptoms or symptoms are improving. They should wear a mask until day 10 after symptom onset or date of positive test, whichever is earlier. Masks may be removed during this period if the person has received two negative rapid tests 48 hours apart.
    • These cases should be reported to their school so they can be report into the sit room for exposure notifications.
  • Get tested if exposed to COVID-19: Students and staff who are exposed to COVID-19 should get tested. 
    • These individuals should receive home tests from their school and take two tests, at least 48 hours apart. All exposed individuals should monitor for fever and other COVID-19 symptoms for 10 days after their exposure. If symptoms begin, they should not attend school and should isolate and get tested for COVID-19 again right away. 
  • Testing: 
    • Starting the first day of school, schools will offer home test kits to those with a potential in-school exposure and those with symptoms
    • In addition, each staff and student will receive 4 tests per month to take home. These tests can be used by school families for testing due to symptoms, exposures, high-risk activity (such as travel and large gatherings) and can give staff and students immediate results. 
  • Situation Room:
    • Schools will be required to report positive cases of COVID-19 to the situation room.
    • The Situation Room will provide schools with standardized communications for their communities and will notify school communities of cases in their schools through daily email and the Daily COVID map. 
  • Masking- Face coverings are strongly recommended to be worn when indoors.Masks will be made available at the school for all those who need/want them.
    • Students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask when: 
      • Returning to school on the sixth day after testing positive for COVID-19, through day 10 after symptom onset or date of positive test, whichever is earlier, including when traveling on a school bus. Masks may be removed during this period if the person has received two negative rapid tests 48 hours apart.
      • Entering the school medical room, nurse’s office, or school-based health center.
      • Exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 at school. 
    • Students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, are also strongly recommended to wear a mask: 
      • When they were exposed to someone with COVID-19, whether the exposure occurred in school or outside of school. The person should wear a mask for 10 days after their last day of exposure and get tested at least 48 hours apart.
      • When they are moderately-to-severely immunocompromised, and masking is recommended by their healthcare provider.
      • In crowded indoor settings 
  • Ventilation:
    • 160K+ air purifiers distributed to schools – at least two in every classroom
    • Monitoring ventilation in buildings on a daily basis and perform any required work in a timely manner
    • HVAC upgrades in alignment with CDC guidance, including 110,000 MERV-13 filters installed
  • School Building Cleaning:
    • Routine cleaning of surfaces will be maintained

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