As of Monday March 16 many public and private schools across the nation have now been closed. And the situation is continuing to change. School closures, self-quarantine, social distancing and tough decisions including cancelled meetings and other in-person events have become essential to help 'flatten the curve', slowing the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and helping to ensure that key healthcare facilities do not become overburdened. While these are not the easiest decisions, they can help slowdown the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Maintaining the health and safety of educational facilities falls into the realm of facilities managers and directors and COVID-19 is a fluid situation that requires agility and proactive measures. In light of the current situation we have rounded up a list of proactive measures that K12 Schools and Universities can do to protect students and staff.
Read our guide to emergency response management and preparedness for facility managers.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have released updated guidelines for Administrators of US K-12 Schools and Childcare Programs in order to appropriately plan, prepare, and respond to Coronavirus (COVID-19).
While decisions about implementing school-based strategies (e.g., dismissals, event cancellations, other social distancing measures) will be made locally, in collaboration with local health officials who can help determine the level of transmission in the community, the CDC has released a comprehensive decision tree to help schools determine which set of mitigation strategies may be most appropriate for their current situation.
Further to this, there are several proactive measures that all facilities professionals can implement to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19):
For those K12 Schools and Universities that remain open, they should continue promoting everyday disease prevention strategies:
Schools can share relevant CDC fact sheets to help students, families, and staff understand COVID-19 along with steps they can take to protect themselves:
Bottom line: People should help each other, but still listen to public health experts’ guidelines at the same time — implement social distancing, resist the urge to shake hands, and above all, don’t go out if you’re sick.
From all of us at Intellis, Be well!
Further resources for information about mitigating the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19):
The U.S. Department of Education issued Information and Resources for Schools and School Personnel: https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus.
The Child Mind Institute issued guidance on talking to kids about the Coronavirus," https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) issued guidance to protect children and support safe school operations: https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/10-03-2020-covid-19-ifrc-unicef-and-who-issue-guidance-to-protect-children-and-support-safe-school-operations.
The Office of Postsecondary Education issued Guidance for interruptions of study related to Coronavirus (COVID-19).
New York City Departement of Education updates related to Coronavirus (COVID-19): https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/health-and-wellness/coronavirus-update.