DOE Fall 2022 COVID-19 Guidance

This guidance provides best practice considerations for schools for the 2022-2023 school year to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19 among students and staff.

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• Vaccination: Vaccination is the best way to reduce COVID-19 risk. Encourage up to date COVID-19 vaccination for everyone six months or older.

  • Call 877-829-4692 to find a vaccination location near you.

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• • Vaccination Requirements:

    • Vaccination is still required for all visitors entering school buildings

    • Vaccination is still required for all DOE employees

    • Vaccination is still required for other individuals who work in DOE buildings

    • Vaccinations is still required to participate in high-risk extracurricular activities including high-risk PSAL sports 

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• Stay home if sick: Students and staff should stay home if they show any symptoms of COVID-19 or other illnesses and get tested for COVID-19. 

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• Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 5 days and can return to school on day 6 if they have no symptoms or symptoms are improving. They must wear mask until day 10 after symptom onset or date of positive test, whichever is earlier.

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• Get tested if exposed to COVID-19: Students and staff who are exposed to COVID-19 should get tested.

  • These individuals can receive home tests from their school and take two tests, at least 24 hours apart on day 4 and day 5 of their exposure. All exposed individuals should monitor for fever and other COVID-19 symptoms for 10 days after their exposure. If symptoms begin, they should not attend school and should isolate and get tested for COVID-19 again right away. 

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• Testing:

  • Starting the first day of school, schools will offer home test kits to those with a potential in-school exposure and those with symptoms

  • Each staff and student will receive 4 tests per month to take home. These tests can be used by school families for testing due to symptoms, exposures, high-risk activity (such as travel and large gatherings) and can give staff and students immediate results.

  • In-school PCR surveillance testing will not be a part of the 2022-23 school year.

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• Situation Room:

  • Schools will be required to report positive cases of COVID-19 to the situation room.

  • The Situation Room will provide schools with standardized communications for their communities and will notify school communities of cases in their schools through daily email and the Daily COVID map. 

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• Masking- Face coverings are strongly recommended to be worn when indoors. Masks will be made available at the school for all those who need/want them.

  • Students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear a mask when:

    • Returning to school on the sixth day after testing positive for COVID-19, through day 10 after symptom onset or date of positive test, whichever is earlier, including when traveling on a school bus.

    • Entering the school medical room, nurse’s office, or school-based health center.

    • Exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 at school.

  • Students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, are strongly recommended to wear a mask:

    • When they were exposed to someone with COVID-19, whether the exposure occurred in school or outside of school. The person should wear a mask for 10 days after their last day of exposure and get tested at least 24 hours apart on day 4 and day 5 of their exposure.

    • When they are moderately-to-severely immunocompromised, and masking is recommended by their healthcare provider.

    • In crowded indoor settings 

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• Ventilation:

  • 160K+ air purifiers distributed to schools – at least two in every classroom

  • Monitoring ventilation in buildings on a daily basis and perform any required work in a timely manner

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