Utah school manual

There are many things to think about as schools remain open during the pandemic. Schools are not only a place of learning for students, but workplaces for teachers and employees. Decisions about how to respond to COVID-19 in schools should be made to protect both the immediate and long-term health and safety of students, teachers, and employees.

The goal of the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) and Utah’s 13 local health departments is to provide a safe learning environment for students and a safe workplace for teachers and employees.

COVID-19 spreads very easily and quickly. Even if you are doing everything right, your school may see cases of COVID-19.

The types of prevention measures in schools and how much COVID-19 is in your community will also impact your school.

Schools cannot stop the spread of COVID-19 alone. It is critical for communities, families, and individuals to take all of the necessary measures they can to lower the spread of COVID-19.

Utah COVID-19 School Manual
Spanish translation
School Manual (Other languages)
Searchable electronic manual

Here's a brief synopsis of the updates:

• Added the "low risk test and return" quarantine guidance which has been in use for about a month now
• Updated the research on what we know about kids and COVID-19
• Added messaging that aligns better with "wear a mask anytime you are around a person you don't live with"
• Updated the definition of close contact (a total of 15 minutes or longer)
• Changed the "wait 5-7 days to get tested" to just "wait 7 days" to align with the quarantine guidance
• Wordsmithed the "what is quarantine and isolation" section to make it more clear what is expected for each situation
• Added info on when you can get tested to the "how to determine when someone can end quarantine" calendar graphic
• Included information on antigen tests
• Updated the cleaning sections to align with the updates from CDC on cleaning in schools and businesses
• Added info on precautions for driver education classes
• Clarified some points of confusion in the outbreak recommendations table