TK-12 Schools
COVID-19 Toolkit
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Welcome
This toolkit is designed to help schools and administrators prevent and respond to COVID-19 in schools. It includes information on requirements and recommendations for the prevention of COVID-19 transmission, tools, and reporting information for when there are COVID-19 cases at a school.
Flu and RSV resources:
Protocols/guidance for schools, youth sports, and camps
- Protocol for TK-12 schools (updated
3/14/23)
This document details the employee and student safety and infection control protocols for COVID-19. These are in addition to the guidance from the State Public Health Officer and the California Department of Education for schools.
Protocol for TK-12 Schools (Health Officer Order - T1). Click here for additional languages.
- Other resources
- State of California:
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools
- LAC DPH Best Practices for COVID-19 Prevention for Businesses and Employers and Responding to COVID-19 in the Workplace
- County Office of Education (LACOE) COVID-19 Resources
- California Department of Education (CDE) Coronavirus Response and School Reopening Guidance
- California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) COVID-19 Information and Resources for families accessing intellectual and developmental disability services through Regional Centers and service providers.
- The Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), better known as Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations
- Technical assistance for schools
Schools and administrators with questions regarding protocols or in need of technical assistance can contact the School Technical Assistance Team (STAT) at TASchoolSupport@ph.lacounty.gov.
- Protocol for organized youth sports
(updated 11/8/22)
The Protocol for Organized Youth Sports: Appendix S is part of the LAC Health Officer Order. Click here for additional languages.
- Guidance for camps
Protocol for Overnight Organized/Children’s Camps (updated 6/16/22)
Protocol for Day Camps (updated 6/16/22). Click here for additional languages.
What to do when you have a COVID-19 case at your facility
Exposure Management Plans
- Exposure Management Plan (EMP) for TK-12 Schools (updated 3/14/23) (Español) details steps to take after a COVID-19 case is identified at your school.
- Exposure Management Plan (EMP) for Organized Youth Sports Programs (updated 12/28/22 - under revision). Refer to this document if you have a case affiliated with a Youth Sports activity. Click here for additional languages.
Managing Symptoms and Exposures in TK-12 Schools
- Decision Pathways for Symptoms and Exposures in Early Care and Education Centers and TK-12 Schools (under revision) — Flow charts for managing students and staff who have symptoms while at school or at an early care and education center. Español | العربية | հայերեն | អក្សរខ្មែរ | 简体中文 | 繁體中文 | فارسى | 日本語 | 한국어 | Русский | Tagalog | Tiếng Việt
- To limit exposures to sick persons, schools and programs serving school-aged youth should communicate with students and staff that individuals with COVID-19 symptoms and/or a positive COVID-19 test should not enter the site.
Requirements for Reporting Cases at Your School
Schools and programs serving school-aged youth must notify LAC Department of Public Health (DPH) of all clusters of 3 or more cases of COVID-19 in a classroom, office, or other pre-defined or identifiable group (i.e., cohort, team/club, etc.) who were linked and on campus at any point within the 14 days prior to illness onset date. Refer to the TK-12 Schools Exposure Management Plan for additional details.
- How to report: Report clusters of 3 or more school-associated COVID-19 cases through the secure web application, Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracing (SPOT). This can be done on a computer or mobile device. If reporting multiple cases, you may choose to use the “Bulk Upload Template” (an Excel file) located within the SPOT Portal.
- Training Resources:
- This data dictionary (Español) (updated 5/1/22) describes each of the items of information (variables) that are collected as part of cluster reporting through SPOT.
- Training videos and resources can be found at the SPOT School Help and Training Materials.
Notifying Staff, Students, and Families of Actions to Take for Isolation and Close Contacts
Schools and programs serving TK-12 youth can adapt these exposure notification letter templates for notifications to students and staff on actions to take if they have tested positive for COVID-19 or if they had an exposure to a person with COVID-19 during their infectious period while at the site.
- Isolation Notification Letter: Notification letter for staff, students, and their families on isolation guidance after a positive COVID-19 viral test result.
- Exposure Notification Letters: Notification letters for close contacts and individuals with potential exposure to persons with COVID-19 during their infectious period while at the site.
Youth Recreational Sports Programs
If an individual with confirmed COVID-19 participated during their infectious period in any games, tournaments, or other Youth Recreational Sports Program-related activities involving other teams, the Youth Recreational Sports Program Compliance Officer should notify close contacts on their own team AND notify the opposing team(s) of potential exposure. Compliance officers for all affected teams need to work collaboratively to notify individuals who meet the criteria for having been exposed. (Refer to the Youth Sports Programs Exposure Notification Letter Templates.)
- Exposure notice to make people aware that they may have recently been exposed to COVID-19 if they visited a location.
COVID-19 testing
- Testing for employees
- For information about testing requirements for employers, including when they have to offer testing to employees at no cost and during paid time, see the Cal/OSHA Non-Emergency Regulations.
- General testing information
- ph.lacounty.gov/covidtests—provides information on the different types of COVID-19 tests, when testing is recommended, and how to interpret the results.
- lacounty.gov/testing or call 2-1-1 to find a free COVID-19 test site in LA County. Drive through or walk-up testing sites are available, and appointments are not always needed.
- COVID-19 Testing Resources for Children (updated 9/2/22)—For information and locations that test children. Español | 简体中文 | 繁體中文 | العربية | հայերեն | អក្សរខ្មែរ | 日本語 | 한국어 | Русский | Tiếng Việt | فارسى | Tagalog
COVID-19 prevention
- Ventilation
- CDC Interactive School Ventilation Tool
- The Best Practices for Gymnasium Ventilation includes a checklist and diagram to illustrate the best way to ventilate gyms to reduce the risk of COVID-19.
- CDPH guidance on improving indoor air quality in schools webpage | PDF English | PDF Spanish
- Cleaning and disinfection
Cleaning and Disinfection Matrix—recommendations on the cleaning and disinfection of rooms or areas. Translations pending.
Also see Reopening Protocols for TK-12 Schools for additional information on cleaning and disinfection.
- Vaccination
- VaccinateLAcounty.com (or VacunateLosAngeles.com Spanish)—Information on COVID-19 vaccines, safety and select "Click here to get vaccinated" in LA County. Vaccines are available for free for all, regardless of insurance or immigration status. No appointment is needed at many locations. Free transportation and in-home vaccination are available through the DPH Vaccine Call Center 1-833-540-0473.
- Best-Practices for School Located Vaccine Clinics—DPH webpage. Includes information on the LAC DPH School Vaccine Team, which is available to provide support to schools in coordinating COVID vaccine clinics. A COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Toolkit is also available for Early Childhood Partners
- Masks
- Follow current State and Local Guidance for Masks. See DPH COVID-19 Mask Wearing Rules and Recommendations and the Reopening Protocols for TK-12 Schools for updates on masking guidance.
- Information for the public on how to use masks:
Webpage: ph.lacounty.gov/masks or Spanish ph.lacounty.gov/mascarillas
PDFs (updated 1/20/23): English | Spanish | 简体中文 | 繁體中文 | العربية | հայերեն | អក្សរខ្មែរ | 日本語 | 한국어 | Русский | Tiếng Việt | فارسى | Tagalog
- Travel
DPH Travel Advisory and Guidance—Recommendations and requirements for domestic and international travel.
Mental health resources
- LA County Department of Mental Health
- 24/7 Help Line 800-854-7771—provides mental health support, resources, and referrals
- dmh.lacounty.gov/covid-19-information—mental health resources for LA County residents
- PsychHub's Mental Health Resource Hub—free resources to help people address their mental health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
-
iPrevail.com—free access for LA County residents to iPrevail, online mental health resource to help with life's everyday stressors. Access in English and Spanish 24/7. After a short assessment, you are connected to customized support to meet your needs. Options include:
- on-demand chat with trained Peer Coaches,
- self-paced lessons on a variety of topics to improve wellbeing, and
- community support groups
- CDC
- Coping with stress—information on healthy ways to cope with stress, resources, and crisis hotline numbers
Data
- COVID-19 Data Dashboard for TK-12 Schools—includes school specific data on testing, cases, and outbreaks
- Vaccinations in LA County by School District
- LA County Data Homepage
Other Resources
- LAC DPH COVID-19 Safety: Workers' Rights in California pamphlet for employees about workplace rights and government benefits for those affected by the pandemic.
- Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Guidance and Resources from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH)
- Child Care of School-Aged Children
Schools that offer day care services for children on school campuses should refer to the DPH COVID-19 Guidance for Early Care and Education Providers—Requirements and Best Practices (updated 10/27/22) for preventing COVID-19.
