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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:

Updates include:

  • Updating the link to the school face mask order.
  • Adding stronger language so parents understand antibody tests and at-home PCR/antigen tests are NOT allowed for Test to Play or Test to Stay testing requirements.
  • Adding one-time extracurricular activities to the Test to Play section of the manual.
  • Clarifying that students who miss a required testing event may get tested at a different location/provider and what documentation is needed if this happens. 
  • Test to Play results will NOT count toward the outbreak threshold.
  • Added a section about getting parental/guardian consent for testing.
  • Clarified that isolation begins the day a test was done and NOT when symptoms began for Test to Play and Test to Stay. In addition, the health department will determine the dates close contacts were exposed and when quarantine will begin/end. 
  • Added a statement about overnight travel in the extracurricular activities section.
  • Removed the 10-day virtual or remote learning option when a school hits the outbreak threshold and replaced it with the following: "Offer rapid antigen testing for all students and staff, or Take other actions decided upon by the LEA to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 consistent with public health guidance."
  • Included the criteria in which a student can stay in-person learning even if they chose not to get tested as part of Test to Stay. Added 2 scenarios to help readers understand how these criteria work.