School teachers and staff to receive PPE from state distribution center

a box of supplies destined for the Nebo school district

We love our teachers. We know teachers and families are concerned about school reopening plans. The State of Utah’s COVID-19 response Unified Command will provide teachers and staff additional masks and face shields to help keep them safe and healthy in their classrooms.

That’s 250,000 masks and 100,000 face shields. The Unified Command’s supply group had brainstormed ways to support the reopening plans and determined they can make a one-time push of KN95 masks and clear face shields available to all teachers, staff and bus drivers in the state. 

A worker at the state distribution center packages a pallet of supplies bound for the Alpine School District. Photo: Chris Averett/Utah Department of Public Safety

The state’s distribution center will put together this one-time PPE push pack for every school district to provide a buffer while districts work on securing their own PPE. The pack will include 5 KN95 masks and 2 face shields for every teacher and faculty member. We anticipate supporting approx 28,000 teachers and 16,000 staff.

All PPE push packs left the warehouse on Friday, August 7, bound for districts throughout the state. Counties will determine how they want to distribute the PPE to the districts and charter schools, which we expect will happen in the coming week.

To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, cloth masks are already required for students, educators, staff, and visitors at our schools. We know masks can limit up to 90% of droplets that can leave our mouths when we talk, laugh, and cough or sneeze.

Wearing a mask is an integral component of returning to school safely. Find more tips and recommendations in the COVID-19 School Manual.