School Manual

• When they are in school, children benefit from important routines, structure, and support services.
• Schools are essential for the economic health of communities. Schools give jobs to teachers and other employees and allow parents, guardians, and caregivers to be able to work.
• Schools provide critical psychological, mental, and behavioral health services to children who may not have access to these services outside of school (such as psychological counseling, and other mental health and behavioral assessments).

• Schools provide age-appropriate instruction and support students’ academic development.
• In-person instruction allows teachers and students to communicate better. It also provides students with critical academic services which are not always available or accessible if students are not in school. Some examples of these services are: school-based tutoring, special education, and other specialized learning supports.

• Social interaction for children in grades K-12 is important not only for emotional wellbeing, but also for children’s language, communication, social, and interpersonal skills.
• Schools provide part of children’s foundation for socialization. When children are out of school, they may be separated from their social network and peer-to-peer social support.
• Teachers are able to more actively participate in student learning and provide feedback.
• In-person instruction may be even more important for students with more learning needs. Children with disabilities may not have virtual access to the support they need, such as specialized instruction, related services, or any additional support required by their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 Plans.
• Students may also not have access virtually to quality English Language Learning (ELL).

• Some families may not be able to fully participate in distance learning because of computer and internet access issues or lack of support due to parent, guardian, or caregivers’ work schedules. Families may rely on school-based services that support their child’s academic success.
• The achievement gaps which existed before COVID-19 closures, such as disparities across income levels and racial and ethnic groups, could get worse and cause long-term effects on children’s educational outcomes, health, and the economic wellbeing of families and communities.
• Students who rely on key services, such as school food programs, special education and related services (speech and social work services, occupational therapy), and after school programs can’t access these programs and services when school buildings are closed. Students are put at greater risk for poor health and educational outcomes.

• Tell their parents or teacher if they feel sick or have symptoms of COVID-19.
• Stay home from school and other activities if they feel sick or have symptoms of COVID-19.
• Stay home from school and other activities if they are waiting for test results or test positive for COVID-19.
• Follow the quarantine guidance if they are exposed to someone with COVID-19.
• Wear a cloth face covering or mask at school and when they are around people they don’t live with.
• Practice physical distancing as much as possible.
• Wash their hands with soap and water often.

• Check their child for symptoms of COVID-19 every day before school.
• Take their child’s temperature every day before school. If their child has a temperature of 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C) or higher, the child has a fever. If parents do not have a thermometer, they should check their child’s skin to see if it feels warm or is red, or ask if he or she has chills or is sweaty.
• Keep their child home from school if he or she feels sick, has symptoms of COVID-19, or is waiting for test results.
• Get their child tested if he or she has symptoms of COVID-19.
• Follow the isolation guidance from the health department if their child or anyone who lives in their home tests positive for COVID-19.
• Follow the quarantine guidance if their child or anyone who lives in their home is exposed to someone with COVID-19.
• Before the school year starts, tell the school if their child has a health condition that puts him or her at a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. The health department will call parents of students who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 if they are exposed at the school.
• Review and update their child’s plans (Individual Healthcare Plan, Individualized Education Plan, 504 plan) with the school.
• Help their child clean his or her cloth face covering or mask.
• Make sure they, and everyone in their family, wears a cloth face covering or mask when they are around people they don’t live with.

• Stay home from school or work if they feel sick, have symptoms of COVID-19, or are waiting for test results.
• Get tested if he or she has symptoms of COVID-19.
• Follow the isolation guidance from the health department if they test positive for COVID-19.
• Follow the quarantine guidance if they are exposed to someone with COVID-19.
• Understand privacy laws and how these laws relate to any information the school is given by the health department.
• Know if they have a medical condition that puts them at higher risk for severe disease due to COVID-19.
• Provide a safe learning environment for students by following their school plan for reopening.
• Prepare curriculum plans in case they have to isolate or quarantine.
• Encourage students to wash their hands with soap and water often.
• Wear a cloth face covering or mask at school and when they are around people they don’t live with.
• Practice physical distancing as much as possible.

• Decide who the COVID-19 point of contact (POC) will be at the school. The POC will work with the local health department on contact tracing in the school. It is a good idea for schools to have several employees who are trained as backups for this role. Provide any needed support or equipment to the POC so he or she can work with the health department on contact tracing.
• Understand the privacy laws that protect student, teacher, and employee personally identifiable information (PII).
• Make sure all teachers, employees, and the school POC understand privacy laws and how these laws relate to any information the school is given by the health department. This includes privacy laws that protect students, teachers, and employees.
• Write and implement a plan for how to reopen the school and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
• Provide a safe learning environment for students, teachers, and employees. This includes considering their emotional and social needs.
• Write a plan that addresses the needs of students, teachers, and employees at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. This plan may include how the school will handle parent requests for alternative learning arrangements, remote learning, and work re-assignments.
• Review plans (Individual Healthcare Plan, Individualized Education Plan, 504 plan) for students with special healthcare needs with the student’s parents and update care plans to help lower the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the school.
• Provide resources to parents and students who choose or need to continue remote learning.
• Wear a mask at school and work, and when they are around people they don’t live with.

• Work with the local health department and school administrators to identify students, teachers, and employees who may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the school.
• Provide a list of students, teachers, and employees who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 to the health department when there is an exposure at the school. The health department will call parents of students, teachers, and employees who are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 if they are exposed at the school and to tell them what to do.
• Understand privacy laws and how these laws relate to any information the school is given by the health department. This includes privacy laws that protect students, teachers, and employees.
• Protect the privacy of the student, teacher, or employee who tests positive or is exposed to someone with COVID-19 as much as possible.
• Notify the parents of students, eligible students, teachers, and employees if they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the school.
• Provide guidance on when and how to quarantine, check for symptoms, and when to get tested.
• Work with school administrators to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the school.
• Wear a mask at school and work, and when they are around people they don’t live with.

• Call students, teachers, and employees who test positive for COVID-19.
• Protect the privacy of the student, teacher, or employee who tests positive or is exposed to someone with COVID-19 as much as possible.
• Conduct a case investigation to find out if a person who tests positive was at school up to 2 days before he or she got sick or tested positive.
• Provide isolation guidance to students, teachers, and employees who test positive for COVID-19. Work closely with the POC and school administrators on contact tracing in the school.
• Get a list of students, teachers, and employees who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 from the POC.
• Call students, teachers, and employees who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 who were exposed.
• Provide quarantine guidance to students, teachers, and employees who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, as well as anyone living with a person who tests positive for COVID-19.
• Tell the POC at the school the names of students, teachers, or employees who have tested positive for COVID-19.
• Notify the POC when the student, teacher, or employee is no longer under isolation and can return to school.
• Provide guidance to the POC and school administrators on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the school.

• Wear a face covering when they are around people they don’t live with.
• Stay home if they are sick, have symptoms of COVID-19, or are waiting for test results.
• Get tested if they have symptoms of COVID-19.
• Follow quarantine and isolation guidelines if they test positive for or are exposed to COVID-19.
• Consider volunteering with community organizations to help families in their community without the resources necessary to quarantine or isolate.
• If they are an employer, follow the recommendations in the COVID-19 Business Manual to protect their employees and reduce the risk of exposure in their business.

People have gotten the virus if they were exposed in an enclosed space to someone who had the virus or were in the enclosed space shortly after the infected person left

Certain activities put more respiratory droplets into the air, such as singing, shouting, and exercising. When you do these activities with other people, it means that everyone is putting more of their respiratory droplets in the air than you would normally have. Especially if people aren’t wearing face coverings in enclosed spaces during these activities. People have gotten the virus if they were in environments such as these that increased the amount of respiratory droplets in the air.

People have gotten the virus if they were exposed in environments that had poor ventilation.

If a student, teacher, or employee tests positive for COVID-19, he or she should isolate right away. This means the person needs to stay at home and away from other people as much as possible. The student, teacher, or employee should not go to school or work.

The person who tested positive should isolate until he or she has been:

• Fever-free for 24 hours, and
• His or her respiratory symptoms have improved for 24 hours, and
• It has been at least 10 days since he or she first got sick.
• If the person did not have symptoms, he or she should isolate for 10 days from the day he or she was tested.

People who have been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19 are at an increased risk of getting infected and infecting others. Close contact means someone was closer than 6 feet or 2 meters (about 2 arm lengths) to a person who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or longer in a 24-hour period. Contact tracing is how public health workers find the close contacts of someone who has COVID-19. Anyone who was in close contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19 will be asked to quarantine.

Case investigation and contact tracing in schools (K-12) 2020-2021

Each school should have a COVID-19 point of contact (POC). The POC works with the health department on contact tracing. The POC will notify eligible students, parents, teachers, and employees if they were exposed to COVID-19 at school.

Learn more about contact tracing

Quarantine is for people who may have been exposed to COVID-19, but aren’t sick yet. Isolation is for people who are sick or who have symptoms of COVID-19.

• More info on quarantine
• More info on isolation

1. The school verifies the student, teacher or staff member who was exposed and the person who tested positive were both wearing a face mask as defined by the State Public Health Order on masks in schools.
2. The quarantined student, teacher, or staff member has a negative COVID-19 test result (must be a PCR or antigen test, not an antibody test). The test result must be from at least 7 days after the last exposure to the person who tested positive.
3. The student, teacher, or staff member does not have symptoms of COVID-19. If the student, teacher, or staff member who was exposed meets ALL three criteria, he or she may return to work, school, or related activities, if the employee or the parents of the student choose.

If the student, teacher, or staff member who was exposed meets ALL three criteria, he or she may return to work, school, or related activities, if the employee or the parents of the student choose. If the person does not meet ALL three criteria or chooses not to get tested, he or she should quarantine at home for 14 days from the last day of exposure.

Anyone who has been exposed to COVID-19 and comes back to school must continue to watch for symptoms. If employees or students get symptoms, they should isolate at home and call their healthcare provider.

These guidelines only apply to exposures that occur at school.

These guidelines do not apply to students, teachers, staff, or settings that are exempt from the State Public Health Order on masks in schools or anyone who was only wearing a face shield when exposed to the virus. If the person has a mask exemption or was only wearing a face shield, he or she should quarantine at home for 14 days from the last day of exposure.

• You must finish your entire 14-day quarantine, even if you do not have symptoms or test negative.
• You do not need a doctor’s note or a negative COVID-19 test result to return to work or school after you finish your 14-day quarantine.

The point of contact (POC) at the school will work with the local health department to determine whether the students, teachers, or employees who were exposed were wearing masks as defined in the State Public Health Order on masks in schools.

For information on exemptions allowed under the State Public Health Order on masks in schools, visit https://coronavirusdownload.utah.gov/Health/Mask_Order_FAQ.pdf.

Students, teachers, and employees who were exposed to COVID-19 at school and choose NOT to be tested for COVID-19, he or she should quarantine at home for 14 days from the last day of exposure.

• You must finish your entire 14-day quarantine, even if you do not have symptoms or test negative.
• You do not need a doctor’s note or a negative COVID-19 test result to return to work or school after you finish your 14-day quarantine.

These guidelines only apply to exposures that occur at school. The point of contact (POC) will work with the local health department to determine if the exposure happened at school.

Students, teachers, and employees who are exposed to COVID-19 in their personal lives or outside of the school setting should quarantine for 14 days from the last day of exposure. People who live with someone who tests positive (called a household contact) should also quarantine for 14 days from the last day of exposure.

• You must finish your entire 14-day quarantine, even if you do not have symptoms or test negative.
• You do not need a doctor’s note or a negative COVID-19 test result to return to work or school after you finish your 14-day quarantine.

People who are exposed during extracurricular activities, such as sports, would not meet the criteria to end quarantine on page 6 if they were not wearing face coverings at the time of exposure.

Students, teachers, and employees who are exposed to COVID-19 at an extracurricular activity or outside of the school setting should quarantine for 14 days from the last day of exposure.

• You must finish your entire 14-day quarantine, even if you do not have symptoms or test negative.
• You do not need a doctor’s note or a negative COVID-19 test result to return to work or school after you finish your 14-day quarantine.

Yes. The health department will notify the point of contact (POC) at the school if a student, teacher, or employee at the school tested positive for COVID-19. A school may learn about a student, teacher, or employee testing positive before the health department. In these cases, the school POC should contact the health department.

The POC will work closely with the health department on contact tracing.

It depends on the situation.

The health department will notify the school point of contact (POC) when a student, teacher, or employee who works at the school or with students has finished his or her isolation and can return to school or work. This means the person can no longer spread the virus to other people.

The health department will only notify the school if the employee works at the school. If the employee does not work at a school or with students (for example, works at a school district office), the employee may return to work after being fever-free for 24 hours, respiratory symptoms have improved for 24 hours, and it has been at least 10 days since he or she first got sick. If the employee never had symptoms, he or she may return to work after it has been 10 days since being tested for COVID-19.

Students, teachers, and staff who want to return to school or work before the end of their 14-day quarantine must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test and meet all of the requirements.

Studies show people may test positive long after they are infectious. This means a person who at one time had COVID-19 could still test positive, even though he or she can’t spread the virus to other people anymore. This makes it hard for students, teachers, and employees who tested positive to know when they can return to school or work if their school or employer requires a negative test result.

You should not ask students, teachers, and employees who are sick for a COVID-19 test result, a doctor’s note, or a note from the health department to prove they are ill, qualify for sick leave, or to come back to work. This places a burden on the healthcare and public health systems. Employers do not need a doctor’s note to get the tax credits under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Students and employees may not have health insurance, access to a healthcare provider, or the financial means to get a doctor’s note or a negative test result.

Each school should have a point of contact (POC).

The POC works with the health department on contact tracing. The POC will notify eligible students, parents, teachers, and employees if they were exposed to COVID-19 at school.

Learn more about contact tracing at school

A close contact exposure means a person was closer than 6 feet or 2 meters (about 2 arm lengths) from someone who tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or longer with in a 24-hour period. This is a cumulative total meaning you could have different exposure events throughout the day. For example, you could be closer than 6 feet to the person who tested positive 3 different times in the day for 5-minutes each time, bringing the total time you were in close contact to 15 minutes. You may also have a close contact exposure if:

• You cared for someone at home who is sick with COVID-19.
• You had direct physical contact with the person who has COVID-19 (hugged or kissed them).
• You shared eating or drinking utensils with the person who has COVID-19.
• The person who has COVID-19 sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you.

Anyone who was in close contact with a person who has COVID-19 up to 2 days before he or she had symptoms is considered exposed and should quarantine. Even if the person who has COVID-19 did not have any symptoms, he or she is infectious up to 2 days before being tested.

• Anyone in a school setting (like a classroom) or in a school bus who sat 6 feet or 2 meters in the front, back, or to the side of the person who tested positive for a total of 15 minutes or longer.
• A teacher, employee (such as a paraprofessional or bus driver), or visitor who was 6 feet or 2 meters for a total of 15 minutes or longer from the person who tested positive.
• Anyone who was closer than 6 feet or 2 meters for a total of 15 minutes or longer to the person who tested positive during extracurricular activities (sports, dances, clubs); during a school gathering (assemblies, dances); or during lunch or free periods. 6 Feet For a total of 15 Minutes

If the health department or point of contact at the school are unable to determine who was in close contact with the person who tested positive, everyone in the classroom, school bus, lunch or free period, extracurricular activity (sports, dances, clubs), or school gathering (assemblies, dances) will be considered exposed and should quarantine.

The health department may also consider other things when deciding if someone had a close contact exposure, depending on the situation. These are things we know increase the risk of exposure to COVID-19:

• Proximity. This means how close someone was to the person who has COVID-19. The closer you are, the more chance there is for exposure.
• Duration of exposure. This means how long you were around the person who has COVID-19. The more time you spend with a person who is infectious, the more chance there is for exposure.
• Symptoms. People are most infectious and can spread the virus to others more easily around the time their symptoms begin.
• Respiratory aerosols. The chance of exposure increases if the person who has COVID-19 is coughing, singing, shouting, or doing other things that make it easier for respiratory droplets to spread.
• Environmental factors. The chance of exposure increases from things like crowded spaces, poor ventilation, and if the exposure happened indoors instead of outdoors.

Wearing cloth face coverings or masks at all times during school reduces the risk of COVID-19. However, the use of cloth face coverings does not eliminate the risk completely. Because there is still some risk, the CDC considers anyone who had close contact exposed, even if he or she was wearing a mask. This means that anyone who comes into close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 while the person was infectious is considered exposed and should quarantine, even if they were both wearing a cloth face covering or mask

• The point of contact (POC) will work closely with the health department to determine who came into close contact at school with the person who tested positive.
• The POC may need to talk with a teacher or coach to understand who a student was in close contact with. Sharing this information must be limited to the least number of school officials possible and each must be notified that the information is confidential and cannot be re-disclosed or shared with anyone else.

To protect the privacy of the person who tested positive as much as possible and help with contact tracing efforts, schools may want to consider:

• Asking teachers to have written seating charts and student groupings in advance for classroom activities.
• Students should have assigned seats on buses if possible. This includes if a bus is used to take students to an activity, field trip, or sports events.
• Coaches may want to consider advance written plans for practices that include student names and groupings for each activity or drill. Coaches and activity directors should keep a roster of attendance at activities, practice, and games.

The date of exposure is when the person who tested positive for COVID-19 was first considered infectious and could spread the virus to others. This date begins 2 days before the person has symptoms. If the person did not have symptoms, he or she is infectious starting 2 days before the person was tested for COVID-19. Anyone who came into close contact with the person who tested positive from the date of exposure until the person has ended isolation and is no longer considered infectious, is exposed to the virus. The health department will give the POC the date of exposure.

Questions the POC may need to ask to figure out who else was exposed at school:

• Does the student ride a school bus to and from school? Is there assigned seating on the school bus? If so, who sits within 6 feet of him or her to the front, back, and to the side?
• What classes does the student have? Are any of his or her classes off-campus?
• Does he or she have release time? Does the student have assigned seating during class? Who sits within 6 feet of him or her in the front, back and to the side? Are students in the class grouped into cohorts or pods? Are students able to physical distance?
• What lunch period does the student have? Is there assigned seating during lunch? If so, who sits within 6 feet of him or her in the front, back, and to the side?
• What extracurricular activities at the school is the student involved in? These activities may include sports teams, drill, clubs, theater, choir, or other activities.
• Did the student attend any school gatherings like assemblies, spirit nights, dances, or parent teacher conferences?
• Does the teacher, coach, or organizer of the activity keep a roster or attendance tracking sheet? Are students at the activities grouped into cohorts or pods? Are students able to physical distance?
• Are there other times during the school day when the student is in close contact with other students, teachers, or employees?

Anyone who had a close contact exposure should quarantine.

Students, teachers, and staff who were exposed at school can return before 14 days if they can meet these criteria:

1. The school verifies the student, teacher or staff member who was exposed and the person who tested positive were both wearing a face mask as defined by the State Public Health Order on masks in schools.
2. The quarantined student, teacher, or staff member has a negative COVID-19 test result (must be a PCR or antigen test, not an antibody test). The test result must be from at least 7 days after the last exposure to the person who tested positive.
3. The student, teacher, or staff member does not have symptoms of COVID-19.

If the student, teacher, or staff member who was exposed meets ALL three criteria, he or she may return to work, school, or related activities, if the employee or the parents of the student choose. If the person does not meet ALL three criteria or chooses not to get tested, he or she should quarantine at home for 14 days from the last day of exposure.

Anyone who has been exposed to COVID-19 and comes back to school must continue to watch for symptoms. If employees or students get symptoms, they should isolate at home and call their healthcare provider.

These guidelines only apply to exposures that occur at school.

It can be very hard to stay isolated from people who have COVID-19 and live in your home. People who are living with a person who tests positive for COVID-19 (called a household contact) may have ongoing exposures and may need to quarantine longer than 14 days. Every time a household contact comes into close contact with the person who is positive while they are infectious, his or her quarantine starts over.

• The POC will work closely with the health department to find out the last time someone had close contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19 (last date of exposure).
• The POC will give the person who was exposed the date of last exposure and when the person can return to school.
• If the person who was exposed meets the criteria on page 6, he or she must wait 7 FULL days from the date of last exposure to get tested.
• If the person who was exposed does not meet the criteria, he or she should quarantine for 14 FULL days.
• People who are living with someone who tests positive for COVID-19 may need to quarantine for longer than 14 days because it may be hard to isolate and not have ongoing exposures.
• See calendar example

*https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html

It depends on the situation.

Anyone who was in close contact, 6 feet or 2 meters (about 2 arm lengths) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or longer during a 24-hour period, with the person who tested positive for COVID-19 should quarantine. If the school point of contact (POC) cannot clearly determine who the person came into close contact with, it is recommended that the entire team, club, or extracurricular activity be considered exposed and quarantine.

People who are exposed during some extracurricular activities, such as sports, may not meet the criteria to end quarantine on page 6 if they were not wearing face coverings at the time of exposure.

The POC at the school will work with the local health department to determine if the exposure happened at school.

Anyone who is exposed outside of school will not meet the criteria on page 6 and should quarantine at home for 14 days. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will need to isolate at home. He or she will not be able to go to school or participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities or sports until his or her isolation is over. He or she can end isolation after being fever-free for 24 hours AND respiratory symptoms have improved AND it has been at least 10 days since he or she first got sick. If the person did not have symptoms, he or she can end isolation after it has been 10 days since getting tested for COVID-19. A student, teacher, or employee may not seek out testing (with the hope of a negative test result) in order to end his or her isolation before the minimum 10 days.

• Schools should follow the specific requirements for extracurricular activities from the Utah High School Activities Association, Utah State Board of Education, and any state or local guidelines.
• See the list of precautions to take

• Check for symptoms of COVID-19 every day, including taking your temperature if possible. If you do not have a thermometer, check your skin to see if it feels warm or looks red. A helpful booklet called, “What to do if you are on quarantine or self-isolation,” can be downloaded at https://coronavirus.utah.gov/protect-yourself/.
• Stay home and away from other people as much as possible. Do not go to school, work, extracurricular activities, religious services, family gatherings, or other activities until your quarantine is over.
• Wear a cloth face covering or mask if you need to leave your home for essential errands like getting groceries or to get medical care. Only leave your home if you have to.
• Limit the number of visitors to your home. This is especially important if you or someone you live with is at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
• Clean surfaces that are touched often (phones, doorknobs, light switches, toilet handles, sink handles, countertops, and anything metal).
• Wash hands with soap and water often. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol.
• Open the windows as much as you can to improve the ventilation and increase air exchanges in rooms.
• Do not share food or utensils with other people.
• Do not share personal items like a toothbrush with other people.

COVID-19 is spreading in many Utah communities. This means students, teachers, and employees may be exposed to COVID-19 many times during the school year.

If students, teachers, or employees are exposed to COVID-19 again (a new exposure) within 90 days of testing positive for COVID-19.

Students, teachers, or employees who do not have symptoms of COVID-19 do not need to quarantine and may go to school or work. They do not need to be tested again for COVID-19. They should also follow these guidelines for 14 days from the date of their last exposure:

• Take his or her temperature before school or work. Check for symptoms of COVID-19 every day.
• Wear a face covering at school and when around people they don’t live with.
• If the student, teacher, or employee gets sick or has symptoms of COVID-19, he or she should isolate for at least 10 days after symptom onset and call a doctor or healthcare provider to determine if he or she should get tested for COVID-19 again. Even if the student, teacher, or employee tests negative for COVID-19, he or she needs to finish the 14-day quarantine.

If students, teachers, or employees are exposed to COVID-19 again (a new exposure) and it has been more than 90 days since they tested positive for COVID-19.

Students, teachers, or employees should quarantine. If they get sick or have symptoms while on quarantine, they should isolate right away, call a doctor or healthcare provider, and get tested for COVID-19 again.

Students, teachers, and employees who are in this situation may meet the criteria to end quarantine.

If students, teachers, or employees who tested negative before and completed quarantine are exposed to the virus again (a new exposure), they should quarantine AGAIN.

Students, teachers, or employees can return to work after they finish their quarantine. If they get sick or have symptoms while quarantined, they should isolate right away, call a doctor or healthcare provider, and get tested for COVID-19.

Students, teachers, and employees who are in this situation may meet the criteria to end quarantine.

*https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/contact-tracing.html

Testing students, teachers, or employees who do not have symptoms or were not exposed to COVID-19 can increase the chance of an inaccurate test result. Getting tested too soon after being exposed to someone with COVID-19 may also increase the chance of an inaccurate test result.

If a person who was exposed to COVID-19 chooses to get tested, he or she should wait at least 7 days after their last exposure to get tested. This lets enough of the virus build up in his or her body to be detected by the test. Getting tested before this time may result in a false negative test result. This means the person tested negative but is really positive and can infect others with COVID-19.

Some testing sites in Utah may not test people who are asymptomatic (this means they do not have symptoms), even if they were exposed to COVID-19. It’s always best to call a healthcare provider or testing site first, to make sure you are able to get tested. Testing people who do not have symptoms or who have not had a known exposure to COVID-19 may also place strains on limited testing resources.

The decision about who can be tested for COVID-19 is made by a healthcare provider, the Utah Department of Health, and the health systems in Utah.

• Antibodies develop several days after an individual gets infected and the strength of the immune response is highly variable among people. Right now, we know having antibodies to the virus that causes COVID-19 may offer some protection from getting infected again. We don’t know how much protection the antibodies may provide or how long this protection will last33. Schools and employers should not require students, teachers, or employees to have an antibody test to come to school or work. Having your students, teachers, or employees get antibody testing may be expensive and does not tell you if he or she could spread the virus to other people.
• If a student, teacher, or employee wants to get an antibody test, he or she will need to ask a healthcare provider to order the test. Antibody tests may also be available through private companies. There may be a cost for this test. If someone tests positive for COVID-19 antibodies, there is a chance that the person could still be infectious. He or she should get a PCR or antigen test to know if he or she is infectious right now and can spread the virus to others.

• No. If a student, teacher, or employee tests positive for COVID-19, the health department will tell the person how long to isolate. In some situations, the health department may also call the point of contact (POC) at the school to let him or her know the person who tested positive has finished their isolation and can return to school.
• Studies show people may test positive long after they are infectious. This means a person, who at one time was sick with COVID-19 could still test positive, even though he or she can’t spread the virus to other people anymore. This makes it hard for students, teachers, and employees to know when they can return to school or work if their school or employer requires a negative test result.
• You should not ask students, teachers, and employees who are sick for a COVID-19 test result, a doctor’s note, or a note from the health department to prove they are ill, qualify for sick leave, or to come back to work. This places a burden on the healthcare and public health systems.
• Students and employees may not have health insurance, access to a healthcare provider, or the financial means to get a doctor’s note or a negative test result.

• Students, teachers, and staff who want to return to school or work before the end of their 14-day quarantine must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test and meet all of the requirements.
• If a student, teacher, or employee does not meet the criteria he or she must quarantine for 14 days.
• The Utah Department of Health does not recommend employers require evidence of a negative test result to come back to work. This places a burden on the healthcare and public health systems.

The easiest way to protect students, teachers, and employees from COVID-19 is to ask any person who is sick to stay home and not come to school. Students may be afraid to miss school if they are sick, for fear of having their grades or citizenship grades lowered. Students may also be worried about falling behind in their classwork or they may not have the resources or support at home to do their schoolwork. Students may also not realize that even mild symptoms can mean they have COVID-19 and can spread the virus to others. It is important to review your school attendance policies. Consider a non-punitive attendance policy which allows students to stay home without the absence hurting their grades when they are sick, under isolation, or asked to quarantine. Make sure students know about the attendance policy so they aren’t afraid to stay home if they are sick.

• Custodians and maintenance employees should be the first employees back in your building after a school closure. Allow plenty of time for them to prepare the building before you allow other employees to return.
• The CDC uses a list of things you can do to lower the risk to students and employees. This list is called the hierarchy of controls. They are listed from the best ways you can control and stop the spread of COVID-19, to the ways that are least effective. Use a combination of these controls to best protect your school. Some of these include engineering controls (ventilation and how you set up the spaces in your school and workspaces), policies for your school and workplace, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Your hazard assessment will tell you what kind of COVID-19 workplace hazards you have, or may get. This will help you decide what to do to lower the risk, or what type of PPE are needed for specific job duties.

• You may want to improve the engineering controls using the building ventilation system. It is a good idea to work with an HVAC professional who knows the best way to improve ventilation for local environmental conditions and spread in the community.
• See the list of recommendations
• Some of these recommendations are from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Guidance for Building Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Learn more about ASHRAE guidelines at https://www.ashrae.org/.

*https://www.ashrae.org/

• If you had to shut down your building for a long time, there are steps you need to take before you reopen. The CDC Guidance for Building Water Systems has 8 steps you should take before you reopen your business or building. Learn more at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/php/building-water-system.html.

Make sure you know where the supply and return outlet locations are for these spaces and that there won’t be long time periods where people are exposed to air flow from the face of one person to another. For more information, visit https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/commercial#general

https://aiha-assets.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com/AIHA/resources/Guidance-Documents/Reopening-Guidance-for-General-Office-Settings_GuidanceDocument.pdf

• Pressurized lobby to outside.
• Label entrance and exit doors for one-way traffic.

• Ask riders to wear face coverings and minimize talking.
• Limit riders for physical distancing and face away from each other. Place decals inside the elevator to show riders where to stand, if needed.
• Consider having elevators stop at every floor in low-rise buildings.
• Turn on elevator cab (lift) ventilation fans, when possible.
• Ask people to take the stairs, if possible. This is very helpful when elevator lobbies are crowded.
• Post signs to remind people to physical distance.
• Allow elevators to run at high speed to reduce time in elevators.
• Consider installing a touchless call button.
• Consider a portable air cleaner with HEPA filter in the elevator for vulnerable riders.
• Use floor markings in elevator lobbies and near the entrance to escalators to remind people to physical distance.
• Consider leaving steps empty between passengers on escalators, if possible.
• Post signs to remind people not to touch surfaces. They should use an object (such as a pen cap) or their knuckle to push elevator buttons.
• Ask elevator and escalator riders to wash their hands and not touch their face after holding on to handrails or touching buttons.

• Consider one-way traffic if there are more than 2 stairs.
• Turn on fans or stairwell pressurization, if possible.
• Open windows to outside, if possible and outside conditions allow.
• Consider portable air cleaners.

• Consider installing an occupancy sensor, if possible.
• Add a lid to the toilet and ask people to put the lid on before they flush.

• Keep doors open to allow air movement. If doors must be closed, consider a portable air cleaner or return fan to ceiling plenum.

• All air handling systems that connect to an atrium should have similar measures.
• Review impact of stack effect.

Increase how often you clean surfaces and shared objects that are touched often (such as workstations, keyboards, telephones, handrails, and doorknobs). This will reduce the risk of cross contamination. For example, clean before and after school or before and after students or staff use shared objects.

• Clean dirty surfaces with soap and water before you disinfect them.
• Always wear gloves and gowns recommended for the type of chemicals you use.
• You may need to wear extra PPE to clean and disinfect. This will depend on the product you are using and if there is enough ventilation in the place you are cleaning. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for each product you use.
• Give employees disposable disinfecting wipes so they can wipe down surfaces that are touched often before they use them (doorknobs, keyboards, remote controls, desks, or other work tools and equipment).

Move or remove as many items as you can that are touched often or have contact with many people. You may want to remove soft and porous items such as area rugs and seating. These types of items are difficult to clean and disinfect. It may be easier to store these types of items during the pandemic. There are a limited number of EPA-approved products for soft and porous materials.

When you clean soft (porous) surfaces like carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes, remove anything you can see that is dirty or might contaminate it. Vacuum before you use any type of cleaner. You can then use a cleaner meant for this type of surface.

After you clean:

• If the items can be washed in a washing machine, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to wash them. Use the warmest water setting you can for the items. Dry the items all the way.
• If items can’t be washed in a washing machine, clean the surface with soap and water or use products made for porous surfaces that are EPA-approved for use against the virus that causes COVID-19.
• Soft and porous materials that are not touched often should only be cleaned or laundered.

When you clean electronics like tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls, and ATM machines, remove anything you can see that is dirty or might contaminate it.

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products.
• You may want to use wipeable covers for electronics.
• If you don’t have the manufacturer’s instructions, you may want to use alcohol based wipes or sprays that have at least 70% alcohol to disinfect touch screens. Make sure you dry surfaces very well so liquids don’t pool.

•  Do not shake dirty laundry. You do not want to spread the virus in the air.
• Use the manufacturer’s instructions when you wash items. Wash items on the warmest water setting you can use for the items. Dry them all the way. You can wash dirty laundry from someone who was sick with other people’s items.
• Clean and disinfect hampers or other carts used to carry laundry. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions or use the cleaning recommendations for the type of surface.

Do your regular cleaning on these areas. You do not need to disinfect them.

• Do your regular cleaning on these areas. You do not need to disinfect them. • Do not spray disinfectant on outdoor playgrounds. This is not a good use of your supplies because disinfecting outdoor equipment is not proven to reduce the risk of COVID-19.
• Clean high-touch surfaces made of plastic or metal often (grab bars, railings).
• You do not need to clean and disinfect wooden surfaces (play structures, benches, tables) or ground covers (mulch, sand).
• You should not disinfect sidewalks and roads. Spread of COVID-19 from these surfaces is very low.

You should consider the safety of employees who perform custodial or other cleaning and disinfecting tasks. These employees are at an increased risk of being exposed to the virus and toxic effects of chemicals.

• To protect your employees, train them to use PPE and chemicals correctly.
• Cleaning employees should wear disposable gloves and gowns for all of their tasks in the cleaning process. This includes when they handle trash.
• You should have gloves and gowns that can be used with the disinfectant products you are using.
• You may need to have extra PPE, depending on the type of cleaning or disinfectant products you use. For example, you may need eye protection if there is a risk of cleaning products splashing into your eyes.
• Be careful when you take off gloves and gowns. You don’t want to come into contact with any germs or spread them into the air. Wash your hands right away with soap and water for 20 seconds after you take off your gloves.
• If you don’t have a gown, you can wear coveralls, an apron, or a work uniform when you clean and disinfect. If you are wearing reusable (washable) clothes, wash it after you wear it. Wash your hands after you touch dirty laundry.
• Take off your gloves after you clean a room or an area where sick people have been. Wash your hands right away after you take off your gloves.
• Tell your supervisor right away if something happens to your PPE, like a tear in your gloves or something else that could expose you to COVID-19.
• Wash your hands often for 20 seconds with soap and water. If you don’t have soap and water and your hands don’t look dirty, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. If your hands look dirty, you need to wash them with soap and water.
• Use good hygiene at work and home. Wash your hands often. Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.

The easiest way to protect your school is to ask sick employees to stay home. Many employees are scared to take time off if they are sick for fear of losing their job or income while they get better. Employees may also be scared to tell their employer if someone in their home has tested positive for COVID-19 or if they have come in close contact with someone who has tested positive.

Most people who test positive for COVID-19 will have symptoms of the disease. However, COVID-19 may also be spread by people who have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. This means a person can have the virus and not even know it. This is why it is very important during the pandemic for employers to have sick leave policies that make employees feel safe to take time off if they are sick or should be quarantined.

You should not ask employees who are sick for a COVID-19 test result, a doctor’s note, or a note from the health department to prove they are ill, qualify for sick leave, or to come back to work. This places a burden on the healthcare and public health systems. You do not need a doctor’s note from the employee to get the tax credits.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) requires certain employers to give employees emergency paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for reasons related to COVID-19. Private employers with fewer than 500 employees get tax credits for the cost to give employees paid leave for reasons related to COVID-19. Keep in mind this emergency leave is in addition to any paid sick leave your company already offers. You can’t reduce the benefits in the policy you have because of the law.

You may want to create a form or template for employees to fill out if they need to isolate or quarantine for COVID-19. This form should include all of the information you will need to get the FFCRA tax credits for your business.

Learn more about sick leave protocols

During the pandemic, make sure you have sick leave policies in place to protect all of your employees. If someone comes to work sick, he or she could spread illness to other employees. Make employees stay home when they are sick to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others.

• Review your sick leave and human resource policies. It is a good idea to add in a section about sick leave for reasons related to COVID-19.
• It is important to make sure employees understand sick leave policies so they don’t come to work sick.
• Your policies should give employees the leave they need to quarantine or isolate.
• Sick leave policies should let employees stay home to care for a sick family member or take care of children if school or childcare is closed.
• During the pandemic, you may want to give advances on future sick leave and allow employees to donate sick leave to each other.

• If you do not offer sick leave to some or all of your employees, you may want to make a non-punitive “emergency sick leave” policy. This means your policy should not punish employees for taking leave for reasons related to COVID-19.
• If you use other companies for contract or temporary employees, talk to them about how important it is for sick employees to stay home. You may want to ask them to use non-punitive leave policies.

• An employer does not offer sick leave, but employees earn a certain amount of paid time off each pay period. The amount of paid time off is based on the hours they work each pay period. An employee tests positive for COVID-19 and must isolate at home. The employer lets the employee keep earning paid time off while the employee is on isolation, even though the employee is not working. A policy like this makes it more likely employees will stay home when they are sick, and not spread the virus to other employees.

If many teachers and employees get sick at one time, this can make it hard to keep your school open.

• Have a process or system for teachers and employees to report if they are sick. You can use this same process to let teachers and employees know about exposures to COVID-19 or transition to remote or hybrid learning.
• Cross-train employees to do essential functions. You need your workplace to operate even if key employees are absent.
• Plan to track and respond to absenteeism in the workplace. If many teachers and employees get sick, you may need to change your plan to make sure your school stays open.
• Plan for how you will operate if many teachers and employees are sick at one time or have sick family members to care for at home.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act requires certain employers to give employees paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for reasons related to COVID-19. Private employers with fewer than 500 employees get tax credits for the cost to give employees paid leave for reasons related to COVID-19.