Education Department Details COVID Safety Resources

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – Throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of schools has been in the headlines and a subject for debate.

In an effort to address issues schools – including their workers -- might be facing as Omicron continues to spread throughout the country, the U.S. Education Department, in a Dear Colleague letter penned by Education Secretary Miguel Cardona earlier this month, spelled out resources available to schools as they continue to keep their doors open during a pandemic.

According to the letter, testing and vaccination are key considerations.

Testing

The department advised schools to:

• Use state’s COVID-19 testing programs and resources funded by the CDC Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity program. The CDC awarded $10 billion to help states and schools with COVID-19 testing programs. Most recipients used the money to set up centralized contracts with COVID-19 testing providers. Additionally, states can request rapid antigen tests on behalf of high-need districts.
• Access free lab-based testing through the CDC Operation Expanded Testing program. The OpET program increases access to lab-based polymerase chain reaction testing nationwide for schools. The department highlights that the program may be particularly useful for schools where staff are already conducting sample collection.
• Connect with school testing vendors. Under the Elementary and Secondary School Relief program, funds may be used to arrange for testing and testing-related services alongside other mitigation strategies.
• Partner with a community COVID-19 testing site near the school. Schools may consider referring students, teachers, and staff to community-based testing sites, and states can incorporate school testing into community-based testing sites. For example, states can include testing sites on or near school grounds and establish specific operating hours for schools.

Vaccines

The letter reported that parents were approximately twice as likely to get their child vaccinated if their school provided information about the vaccine and encouraged school staff to get a booster. Additionally, the department pointed out that schools can offer vaccines to students, staff, and families through school-located vaccine clinics.

On the issue of vaccines, the department also detailed that students, teachers, and staff who are up to date with their COVID-19 shots do not need to quarantine if they are exposed.

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