Although some requirements were lifted when the emergency proclamations were lifted at the end of October, the best practices for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in schools have not. 

According to the guidance, schools should continue to:

• Maintain awareness of CDC COVID-19 Community Levels to determine when to require additional mitigation strategies such as masking and screening testing.
• Provide access to COVID-19 testing.
• Separate/exclude symptomatic and COVID-19 positive individuals.*†‡

* Schools and LHJs have the authority to require that students who test positive for COVID-19 are excluded from in-person learning.

† L&I requirements mandate that COVID-19 positive staff isolate from the workplace.

‡ Child cares and early learning providers are required to send an ill child home or reasonably separate them from other children if there is a risk that the child’s illness will spread to other children or individuals (WAC 110-300-0205)

• Notify families and staff about COVID-19 outbreaks.
• Ensure proper ventilation.
• Clean/disinfect surfaces.
• Encourage frequent handwashing and good respiratory hygiene.

Key document: Guidance to Prevent and Respond to COVID-19 in K-12 Schools and Child Cares

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Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 should follow the DOH What to do if you test positive for COVID-19 guidance.

According to this guidance:

• Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 should stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in the home in order to avoid spreading COVID-19 to others.
• Individuals can leave isolation after 5 full days if:
• Symptoms are improving 5 days after the start of isolation, AND
• The individual has not had a fever for 24 hours without use of fever reducing-medication
• Students and staff should wear a well-fitting and high-quality mask for an additional 5 days (days 6 through 10) if they return to school or child care after the end of their 5 day isolation period.
• If an individual is unable to wear a well-fitting and high-quality mask, they should continue to isolate for a full 10 days, or follow the test-based strategy listed at the bottom of page 3 to determine when to leave isolation and remove their mask.

Key document: What to do if you test positive for COVID-19

Requirement? No. 

Best practice? Yes.

Schools must follow the L&I Requirements and Guidance for Preventing COVID-19 in the workplace.

According to this guidance:

• Keep employees who have tested positive or are symptomatic for COVID-19 out of the workplace for at least five days, per the guidance outlined here (see “Using antigen testing to determine when to leave isolation and remove your mask”).
• Notify employees of any COVID-19 exposures at work.
• Report COVID-19 outbreaks to L&I (if the employer has 50 or more employees).

Key document: L&I Requirements and Guidance for Preventing COVID-19

Requirement? Yes. 

Best practice? Yes.

Students, children, and staff with new onset of respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms, suchas cough, fever, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea, or other symptoms of COVID-19, should not attend school or child care, should stay home, and get tested for COVID-19. 

Follow the DOH COVID-19 Symptom and Exposure Flowchart for Schools and Child Care (or Spanish-language version) for more guidance. (This flowchart is currently being updated to align with the new guidance, but is still a helpful resource for understanding when symptomatic individuals should isolate and test.)

Key document: COVID-19 Symptom and Exposure Flowchart for Schools and Child Care / Qué se debe hacer si una persona tiene síntomas

Requirement? No. 

Best practice? Yes.

Regardless of vaccination status, students and staff who are potentially exposed to COVID-19 should take the following steps as detailed in the DOH What to do if you were potentially exposed to someone with COVID-19 guidance: 

• Monitor for symptoms, AND 
• Test 3-5 days after exposure, AND 
• Wear a well-fitting and high-quality mask around others for 10 days after exposure. 
• If someone is less than two years of age or has a disability that prevents them from wearing a mask, other preventive actions (such as improving ventilation) should be used to avoid transmission during these 10 days. 

If the exposed student, child, or staff member develops new symptoms, they should: 

• Immediately isolate at home, or where they currently reside
• Get tested for COVID-19, and
• Follow the steps outlined in the Exclusion of Individuals with COVID-19 Symptoms section. 
• If the exposed individual tests positive, they should follow the DOH What to do if you test positive for COVID-19 guidance. 

If the exposed individual does not have COVID-19 symptoms and they are using an antigen test, they should retest with an antigen test 24-48 hours after the first negative test. If the second test is negative, but concerns exist for COVID-19, they may retest 24-48 hours after the second negative test, for a total of at least 3 tests. If they get a negative result on the third test and are concerned they could have COVID-19, they may choose to test again using an antigen test, consider getting a laboratory molecular-based test, or call their health care provider. If they do not have adequate resources to test 3 times with an antigen test, it is acceptable to test less in accordance with their resources.

Key document: What to do if you were potentially exposed to someone with COVID-19

Requirement? No. 

Best practice? Yes.

• Schools are required to notify their local health jurisdictions when they become aware of a contagious disease in their facility (WAC 246 110 020).
• Schools are required to report COVID-19 cases and outbreaks to their local health jurisdictions (WAC 246 101 420 Schools, WAC 246 101 415 Child Cares)
  • Note: Local public health has the authority to require implementation of mitigation measures (RCW 70.05.070).
• Local health officers may require implementation of mitigation measures or more stringent guidance to control the spread of COVID-19 in schools or child cares including the exclusion of individuals who are infectious from schools or child care (RCW70.05.070).
• Schools and child care providers are required to cooperate with public health authorities in the investigation of cases, suspected cases, outbreaks and suspected outbreaks that may be associated with the school or child care (WAC 246 101 420 & WAC 246 101 415)

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Required? Yes.

Best practice? Yes.

• At least 5 cases within a specified core group meeting criteria for a COVID 19 case from a positive viral test

OR

• Multiple COVID-19 cases from positive viral tests comprising at least 20% of students, teachers, or staff within a specified core group

Key document: Guidance to Prevent and Respond to COVID-19 in K-12 Schools and Child Cares (page 8)

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Required? Yes.

Best practice? Yes.

Where feasible, K-12 schools and child cares should designate a space for individuals with COVID-19-like symptoms separate from other health care and shared spaces. Rooms with a negative air flow and directly exhausted air should be prioritized for this purpose. If not available, the separated space would ideally have a door that can close and a properly sized High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) air cleaner (air purifier) or be located outdoors.

Key document: Guidance to Prevent and Respond to COVID-19 in K-12 Schools and Child Cares (page 8)

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Requirement? No.

Best practice? Yes.

The Secretary of Health’s Mask Order is still in place for health care settings in Washington. Currently, the nurse’s office and school health room are considered health care settings and therefore masks are required for anyone accessing these spaces. 

Key document: Secretary of Health’s Mask Order

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No, the vaccine mandate for school staff has been lifted with the emergency proclamations and is no longer in place. However, any employer or school has the ability to require vaccination for their staff.

COVID-19 vaccines are not required for enrollment in school or child care for students or children at this time.

Key document: Guidance to Prevent and Respond to COVID-19 in K-12 Schools and Child Cares (page 8)

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DOH has approved the use of expired tests so long as they pass internal quality controls. On rapid antigen tests, an internal quality control is making sure the control line – the line that shows up next to the “C” on the test cartridge – shows up when the specimen is added. 

The FDA continues to track COVID-19 test performance data, which informs their decision-making on expiration date extensions. Expect the tests to continue to receive expiration date extensions as additional performance data is available. More information can be found on the Rapid Antigen Test Date Extensions one-pager.

No, the vaccine mandate for school staff has been lifted with the emergency proclamations and is no longer in place. However, any employer or school has the ability to require vaccination for their staff.

COVID-19 vaccines are not required for enrollment in school or child care for students or children at this time.

Key document: Guidance to Prevent and Respond to COVID-19 in K-12 Schools and Child Cares (page 8)

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Yes, the Labor Fund is still open and DOH encourages schools to apply if interested.

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Reach out to your L2R Program Manager for help applying for the Labor Fund.