CDC: Interim Guidance for Administrators of US K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs

How should IHEs prepare for, and respond to, COVID-19?

• IHE should be prepared for COVID-19 outbreaks in their local communities and for individual exposure events to occur in facilities, regardless of the level of community transmission, for example, a case associated with travel. The following decision tree can be used to help IHE administrators determine which set of mitigation strategies may be most appropriate for their current situation.

When a confirmed case has been on campus, regardless of community transmission

• Any IHE in any community might need to implement short-term building closure procedures regardless of community spread if an infected person has been on campus. If this happens, CDC recommends the following procedures, regardless of level of community spread:

• Coordinate with local health officials.

• Work with local public health officials to determine cancellation of classes and closure of buildings and facilities.

• Communicate with students, staff, and faculty.

• Clean and disinfect thoroughly.

• Close off areas used by the patient. Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area and then begin cleaning and disinfection.

• Cleaning staff should clean and disinfect all areas (e.g., offices, bathrooms, and common areas) used by the COVID-19 patient focusing especially on frequently touched surfaces.

• If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.

• Make decisions about extending the class suspension and event and activity cancellation.

• IHE administrators should work in close collaboration with local public health officials and the IHE’s university system to make class suspension and large event and activity cancellation decisions.

Implement strategies to continue education and other related supports for students.

• Ensure continuity of education and research.

• Ensure continuity of safe housing.

• Work in close collaboration with local public health officials to make all decisions related to on-campus housing.

• If cases of COVID-19 have been identified among residents of on-campus community housing, work with local public health officials to take additional precautions.

• Residents identified with COVID-19 or identified as contacts of individuals with COVID-19 should not necessarily be sent to their permanent homes off-campus.

• Remember to consider all types of IHE-affiliated housing when making response plans.

• Ensure any staff remaining to support students in on-campus housing receive necessary training to protect themselves and residents from spread of COVID-19.

• Ensure continuity of meal programs.

• Consider if, and when, to stop, scale back, or modify other support services on campus.

When there is no community transmission (preparedness phase)

• The most important thing to do now is plan and prepare. IHE administrators should reinforce healthy practices among their students, staff, and faculty. As the global outbreak evolves, IHE should prepare for the possibility of community-level outbreaks in their communities. IHE need to be ready in the event COVID-19 does appear in their communities.

Review, update, and implement emergency operations plans (EOPs).

• Ensure the plan includes strategies to reduce the spread of a wide variety of infectious diseases (e.g., seasonal influenza). This includes strategies for social distancing and IHE dismissal that may be used to stop or slow the spread of infectious disease. The plan should also include strategies for continuing education, meal programs, and other related services in the event of IHE dismissal.

• Ensure the plan emphasizes preventive actions for students and staff. Emphasize actions individuals can take, including staying home when sick, appropriately covering coughs and sneezes, cleaning frequently touched surfaces, and washing hands often.

• Include procedures in the EOP for how to ensure safe housing for students.

• Reference key resources while reviewing, updating, and implementing the EOP.

Develop information-sharing systems with partners.

• Institutional information systems should be used for day-to-day reporting on information such as absenteeism or changes in student health center traffic to detect and respond to an outbreak. Remember that IHE are not expected to screen students, staff, or faculty to identify cases of COVID-19.. If a community (or more specifically, an IHE) has cases of COVID-19, local health officials will help identify those individuals and will follow up on next steps.

• Local health officials should be a key partner in information sharing.

Reinforce healthy hygiene practices.

• Ensure handwashing strategies include washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

• CDC offers several free handwashing resources that include health promotion materials and information on proper handwashing technique.

• Ensure adequate supplies (e.g., soap, paper towels, hand sanitizer, tissue) to support healthy hygiene practices.

Intensify cleaning and disinfection efforts.

• Routinely clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are frequently touched. This may include cleaning objects/surfaces not ordinarily cleaned daily (e.g., doorknobs, light switches, classroom sink handles, countertops). Clean with the cleaners typically used. Use all cleaning products according to the directions on the label. For disinfection most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.

• Provide disposable wipes to staff and faculty so that commonly used surfaces (e.g., keyboards, desks, remote controls) can be wiped down before use.

• Ensure adequate supplies to support cleaning and disinfection practices.

Monitor and plan for absenteeism.

• Review attendance and sick leave policies. Students, staff, and faculty should not attend class or work when sick. Allow them to stay home to care for sick household members. Make accommodations (e.g., extended due dates, electronic submission of assignments), as possible, for individuals who may be temporarily unable to attend class due to restrictions placed on them related to possible exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19.

• Identify critical job functions and positions, and plan for alternative coverage by cross-training staff and faculty.

• Review the usual absenteeism patterns at your institution and on your campus among students, staff, and faculty. Consider identifying and implementing processes for faculty and IHE leadership to report noticeable changes in absenteeism, even if subjective, to a designated administrator.

• Alert local health officials about large increases in student, staff, and faculty absenteeism or substantial increases in student health center traffic due to respiratory illnesses (like the common cold or the “flu,” which have symptoms similar to symptoms of COVID-19).

• Determine what level of absenteeism will disrupt continuity of teaching, learning, and research.

Assess group gatherings and events. Consider postponing non-critical gatherings and events.

• Ensure you have a clear understanding of all upcoming gatherings and large events for your IHE (e.g., special performances, athletic events, award banquets). Give special consideration to events that might put students, staff, or their families in close proximity to others from communities that may have identified cases of COVID-19 or include populations at increased risk of severe illness with COVID-19.

• Consider whether any of these events should be canceled. Speak with local health officials to help determine the best approach.

Require sick students, staff, and faculty to stay home. Establish procedures for students, staff, and faculty who are sick (with any illness) on campus.

• Establish procedures to ensure students, staff, and faculty who become sick (with any illness) on campus or arrive on campus sick are sent to their place of residence (e.g., on-campus room or apartment, off-campus housing) as soon as possible. Keep sick individuals separate from well individuals until they can leave. Sick residents of on-campus housing in communities with no identified COVID-19 and who are not believed to have been exposed to COVID-19 should avoid contact with well individuals while sick.

• Establish procedures for how to re-house roommates of those that are sick.

Ensure IHE health clinics prepare for COVID-19.

• Review CDC guidance to help healthcare facilities prepare for COVID-19. Guidance includes steps to take now and strategies for preparing for community transmission of COVID-19.

Create plans to communicate accurate and timely information to the IHE community.

• Include strategies for sharing information with staff, students, and faculty without increasing fear and stigma. Keeping the community informed with accurate information can counter the spread of misinformation and reduce the potential for fear and stigma.

• Include strategies to communicate steps being taken by the IHE to prepare and how additional information will be shared.

• Include strategies to communicate changes to usual campus schedules or functions.

• Include strategies to communicate information IHE community members can use to protect themselves from infectious disease, including COVID-19.

Review CDC’s guidance for businesses and employers.

• Review this CDC guidance to identify any additional strategies the IHE can use, given its role as an employer.

IHE administrators can support their IHE community by sharing COVID-19 informational resources

• Information about COVID-19 available through state and local health departments

• General fact sheets to help students, staff, faculty, and their families understand COVID-19 and the steps they can take to protect themselves

• CDC information for students, staff, and faculty who have recently traveled back to the United States from areas where CDC has identified community spread of COVID-19

When there is minimal to moderate community transmission

• Coordinate with local public health officials.

Implement multiple social distancing strategies

• Cancel large gatherings.

• Cancel or modify courses where students are likely to be in very close contact,

• Increase space between desks

• Reduce congestion in the health clinic

• Consider if and how existing dining services should be scaled back or adapted

• Consider ways to accommodate the needs of students and staff at higher risk of severe illness with COVID-19.

Ensure continuity of safe housing.

• Work in close collaboration with local health officials to make all decisions related to on-campus housing.

• If cases of COVID-19 have not been identified among residents of on-campus community housing

Help counter stigma and promote resilience on campus.

• Share facts about COVID-19 through trusted dissemination channels to counter the spread of misinformation and mitigate fear.

• Speak out against negative behaviors, including negative statements on social media about groups of people.

• Develop plans to support students, staff, and faculty who may feel overwhelmed by COVID-19 and associated events on campus.

When there is substantial community transmission

• Continue to coordinate with local public health officials. If local health officials have determined there is substantial transmission of COVID-19 within the community, they will provide guidance to administrators on the best course of action for IHE. Mitigation strategies are expected to extend across organizations (e.g., K-12 schools, business, community and faith-based organizations) within the community, as they are not necessarily tied to cases within IHE.

• Consider extended in-person class suspension. In collaboration with local public health officials, implement extended class suspension and event/activity cancellations (e.g., suspension/cancellations for longer than two weeks). This longer-term, and likely broader-reaching, strategy is intended to slow transmission rates of COVID-19 in the community. During extended class suspensions, also cancel extracurricular group activities and large events. Remember to implement strategies to ensure the continuity of education, research, and housing as well as meal programs and other essential services for students.