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
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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