COVID-19 Resources for Schools

Updated 9/7/2023

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) continues to encourage schools to refer to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning to prepare for the upcoming school year. 

The CDC guidance highlights the importance of public health prevention strategies to support safe, in-person learning. Schools should continue to utilize prevention strategies such as encouraging vaccination, staying home when sick, testing, ventilation, and handwashing to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. 

For additional vaccination information, schools are advised to review the latest CDC guidance, Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC. 

School leaders can use the CDC's COVID-19 hospital admission levels to understand the impact of COVID-19 in their community. Additional community-level indicators that might be considered for use in decision-making about COVID-19 prevention are pediatric hospitalizations, results from wastewater surveillance, or other local information. 

Any individual who tests positive for COVID-19, regardless of symptoms, should isolate at home in accordance with CDC guidance. After the isolation period, individuals should wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask when around other people following the timeline outlined in the CDC guidance. CDC no longer recommends quarantine for individuals who are exposed to a positive case of COVID-19. 

Schools within a county or municipal health department (CMHD) jurisdiction should work with their local health department when responding to cases and outbreaks of COVID-19 in a school setting. 

Schools are required to report outbreaks to DOH to help us understand the spread of COVID-19 in schools. Outbreaks/suspected outbreaks can be reported to DOH by contacting 1-877-PA-HEALTH.  

DOH continues to provide public health consultation on general COVID-19 related issues or concerns.  Schools in need of urgent technical assistance or public health consultation, should continue to contact DOH at RA-DHK12Epi@pa.gov. 

Guidance & Information

General Guidance & Information

• CDC: Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning
• CDC: Frequently Asked Questions for K-12 and Early Care and Education Settings
• CDC: COVID-19 Community Levels
• CDC: US COVID Community Levels by County
  
• CDC: Ventilation in Schools and Child Care Programs
  
• PA DOH: COVID-19 Data for Pennsylvania
• PA DOH: COVID Symptoms & Testing
• PA DOH: School Health
  

Responding to Cases in K-12 Schools

• CDC: Responding to COVID-19 Cases in K-12 Schools: Resources for School Administrators
  
• CDC: Quarantine and Isolation
  
• CDC: Toolkit for Responding to COVID-19 Cases

K-12 School Testing

• PA DOH: Public Health Guidance for School Testing
• CDC: School Testing for COVID-19

Vaccination

• PA DOH: COVID-19 Vaccines
• PA DOH: COVID-19 Vaccine for Children and Teens: What to Know About Side Effects
• PA DOH: Five Key Questions for Assessing Children and Teens: Decision Tree for School Settings

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