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COVID-19 Update: School Guidelines,
Public Health Advisory System
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) Ohio
Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted today
provided the following updates on Ohio's response to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
*K-12 SCHOOL GUIDANCE:*
Governor DeWine today
announced new guidance for resuming school in the fall.
"We know that each school
system, and perhaps each school building, will likely look
different in the fall. We also know that Ohio has a long
history of local control and that school administrators and
teachers know their schools best," said Governor DeWine.
"Working together and consulting with educators and other
health officials, we have developed a set of guidelines,
backed by science, that each school should follow when
developing their reopening plans." |
Governor Mike DeWine |
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School Guidance
The newly issued guidance
report advises schools to vigilantly assess symptoms, wash
and sanitize hands to prevent spread, thoroughly clean and
sanitize the school environment to limit spread on shared
surfaces, practice social distancing, and implement a face
coverings policy.
"Just as we have done in the
business sector with employees, we are requiring school
staff to wear face coverings to reduce the spread of the
virus, unless it is unsafe or when doing so could
significantly interfere with the learning process. When face
coverings arent practical, face shields may be considered,"
said Governor DeWine. "We strongly recommend that students
in 3rd grade and up wear face coverings as well."
More details on the new
school guidance will soon be available on
coronavirus.ohio.gov [
https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/responsible-restart-ohio/Sector-Specific-Operating-Requirements/
].
To assist schools in their
efforts to implement the guidance, the Ohio Department of
Education has created a document titled, The Reset and
Restart Education Planning Guide for Ohio Schools and
Districts,
[
https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/OHOOD/2020/07/02/file_attachments/1488298/Reset-Restart-full%2006.20.20.pdf
]
which is designed to help teachers, principals, and
administrators with solutions to safety challenges. The
document provides resources and information for community
decision-makers as they contemplate how to reopen safely.
The guidance announced today
was developed in consultation with school superintendents,
teachers, parents, theOhio Federation of Teachers,Ohio
Education Association,Ohio Association of Public School
Employees,Buckeye Association of School Administrators,Ohio
School Boards Association,Ohio Association of School
Business Officials,Alliance for High Quality Education, and
Ohio Association of Career Tech Education.
Governor DeWine today also
committed toworking with the Ohio General Assembly on a plan
to ensure that federal CARES Act dollars are made available
to Ohios school districts for unforeseen expenses associated
with creating a safe environment.
*PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY
ALERT SYSTEM:*
Governor DeWine announced
today that going forward, Ohio will maintain vital,
necessary baseline orders to control the spread of COVID-19
while also implementing a new alert system.
The Ohio Public Health
Advisory Systemwill provide local health departments and
community leaders data and information to combat flare-ups
as they occur in different parts of the state.The system
consists of four levels that provide Ohioans with guidance
as to the severity of the problem in the counties in which
they live.
"Our new Public Health
Advisory System will help make clear the very real dangers
happening in individual counties across Ohio," said Governor
DeWine. "This is a color-coded system built on a data-driven
framework to assess the degree of the virus spread and to
inform, engage, and empower individuals, businesses,
communities, local governments, and others in their response
and actions."
*Data Indicators:*
A county's alert level is
determined by seven data indicators:
* New Cases Per Capita
* Sustained Increase in
New Cases
* Proportion of Cases that
Are Not Congregate Cases
* Sustained Increase in
Emergency Room Visits
* Sustained Increase in
Outpatient Visits
* Sustained Increase in
New COVID-19 Hospital Admissions
* Intensive Care Unit
(ICU) Bed Occupancy
Additional measurements
still in development include county-level data on contact
tracing, tests per capita, and percent positivity.
Detailed descriptions for
each indicator can be found on coronavirus.ohio.gov [
https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/static/OPHASM/Summary-Alert-Indicators.pdf
].
*Alert Levels:
**Alert Level 1 Public
Emergency (Yellow):* Baseline level. County has met zero or
one indicator. Active exposure and spread. Follow all health
orders.
*Alert Level 2 Public
Emergency (Orange):* County has met two or three indicators.
Increased exposure and spread. Exercise high degree of
caution. Follow all current health orders.
*Alert Level 3 Public
Emergency (Red):* County has met four or five indicators.
Very high exposure and spread. Limit Activities as much as
possible. Follow all current health orders.
*Alert Level 4 Public
Emergency (Purple):* County has met six or seven indicators.
Severe exposure and spread. Only leave home for supplies and
services. Follow all current health orders.
Counties that are
approaching Alert Level 4 are indicated with a star.
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