February 1, 2022

Media Contacts:
ODE Public Information Officer Peter J. Rudy
OHA External Relations, orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

School Health Advisory for Continuity of Instruction

Advisory in effect statewide February 1 – March 4, 2022

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) are partnering to prioritize the safety protocols needed to reliably continue full-time, in-person school for all students. We know our students learn best in-person, where they have access to other on-site critical services.

Today’s School Health Advisory is designed to help schools operate in-person through the remainder of the Omicron surge in Oregon.

Oregon is now several weeks into experiencing the impacts of the Omicron variant, and several weeks remain before decreases in exposures, illness, and hospitalizations are fully realized. Student access to in-person instruction remains under serious threat through February, with our rural schools and communities moving through local “peak Omicron” even as we watch our statewide numbers slowly decrease. And while we are relieved to leave a peak behind, hospitalization rates will lag behind case rates and remain exceedingly high over the coming weeks.

While emerging data indicate that the Omicron variant results in less severe disease than previous variants, it has become clear that the Omicron variant spreads much more quickly and easily than all previous variants.

• Layered mitigation safety protocols (including vaccinations, boosters, face coverings, physical distancing, ventilation, frequent handwashing) are more critical now than at any other time during this pandemic.
• Based on the ongoing experience of other countries, states and school districts, we expect rapid transmission of the Omicron variant in indoor settings in which people do not adhere with purpose and intention to masking requirements and other layered mitigation safety protocols.

Oregon schools have worked hard to reopen their doors to in-person learning and are diligently using the Ready Schools, Safe Learners Resiliency Framework to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in school settings. Thank you, educators, families and students!

Schools are managed settings. When administrators and staff in schools are trained and implement layered mitigation safety protocols fully, the risk of COVID-19 transmission can be lower than in general community settings without such protocols in place. 

Current data and modeling from OHSU show that Oregon is experiencing a significant COVID-19 surge, driven by the Omicron variant, which began in January and will continue through February. This surge has caused far more infections and the increase has proven to be much steeper than the Delta variant surge we experienced. Throughout the first weeks of January, schools in Oregon’s more populated areas experienced workforce impacts resulting in a number of short-term classroom and school closures. These same workforce stability issues affected hospitals and other sectors. Hospitals will be impacted even more severely than they were in the fall. Moving into February, Oregon’s more rural counties and the districts serving them will experience the brunt of the Omicron variant surge, even as we begin to see statewide numbers slowly decline.

To maintain the continuity of instruction during school this year, OHA and ODE are issuing the following School Health Advisory, to remain in effect statewide February 1 – March 4, unless otherwise updated.

For schools:

1. If students or staff show COVID-19 symptoms or the school is aware they are a close contact, the school must exclude the individual as per OAR 333-019-0010 (3) & (4). Schools may offer testing to the individual through OHA’s Diagnostic Testing Program. Refer to this 01-04-2022 message for information on current 5-day quarantine and test to stay protocols.
   • COVID-19 symptoms can be found in the Planning for COVID-19 Scenarios in Schools: A Toolkit for School Leaders and Local Public Health Authorities.
   • Test to stay protocol allows individuals who are eligible for quarantine to remain learning in-person when certain criteria are met.
   • If a quarantine is called for, prioritize a shortened five day quarantine option. This means that when a close contact remains symptom free, they may return to school and other activities on day 6.
2. To reduce spread and the number of students and staff excluded from school due to contracting COVID-19 or quarantining due to close contact, each school should review and update their Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan (available on this webpage):
   • Schools should continue to reinforce the importance of layered mitigation efforts. Plan to re-teach appropriate use of face coverings, reestablish consistent physical distancing practices, incorporate frequent handwashing, recheck ventilation systems, and attend to other layered health and safety measures.
   • Schools should consider implementing additional layers of protection such as increased airflow and circulation, implementing free COVID-19 testing programs, retraining staff on all protocols, and educating staff, students and families about COVID-19 symptoms.
   • To remain eligible for American Rescue Plan Act federal funds, school districts are required to updated their Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan (available on this webpage) by February 25. This is an important time to carefully review plans and make changes that will help keep students and staff safe and keep school doors open to in-person instruction. School districts received information on the process for updating their plans on January 4, 2022.
3. Schools should work with health partners to offer vaccination clinics and encourage eligible students and staff to get their vaccinations and boosters. More information about vaccinations can be found at Get Vaccinated Oregon.
4. Schools and other organizations should pause extracurricular activities or ensure they follow the same layered mitigation safety protocols practiced during the school day (use of face coverings, screening and diagnostic testing, encourage vaccination, frequent handwashing, etc.).
   • If schools and other organizations proceed with extracurricular activities, especially as these activities move indoors and individuals are unmasked, they should expect rapid transmission of COVID-19 that will prevent students from participating in in-person learning due to isolation for those who contract COVID-19 and quarantines for those who come into close contact with infected individuals.
   • This risk should be clearly communicated to families participating in these extracurricular activities.
5. Schools should hold events (parent/family conferences, fundraisers, etc.) online, rather than in-person. If events are held in-person, make every effort to hold the events under covered areas outside, ensure all participants wear masks, and maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet between individuals from different households.

For families and community members:

We need your help to maintain in-person instruction for children across Oregon. When community spread increases, more COVID-19 is introduced in our schools and causes disruption of in-person learning due to quarantine and isolation. You can help:

1. If your child has COVID-19 symptoms, do not send them to school. Seek a COVID-19 test. COVID-19 symptoms can be found on page 9 of the Planning for COVID-19 Scenarios in Schools: A Toolkit for School Leaders and Local Public Health Authorities.
2. Get vaccinated now if you’re not. Vaccination remains the best protection against serious illness from COVID-19 and reduces spread of the disease. Get Vaccinated Oregon.
3. Get boosted if you’re not. If you’re eligible for a booster, make your appointment today. Boosters provide an extra layer of protection needed to slow spread of the Omicron variant.
4. Families with school-age children and educators should limit gatherings and non-essential activities with people from other households to the extent possible throughout February. Before getting together with family, friends and loved ones, ask if attendees have received their COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and consider postponing visits if many attendees are not up to date with recommended doses. If you are visiting people from another household, you should wear a mask, maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet, and keep activities outdoors as much as possible.

Future School Health Advisories

OHA and ODE will continue to issue School Health Advisories to identify additional steps families, schools, and/or communities can take to help keep our children safely learning in our schools. These advisories may be regional or statewide. The School Health Advisories name actions that individuals, families, schools, and/or communities can take to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and help schools stay open to in-person instruction.

Review these back-to-school COVID-19 safety tips for more information on how to keep everyone safe as students return to the classroom.

For previous OHA/ODE School Health Advisories and more information on how your school is planning for a safe return to full-time, in-person learning go to oregon.gov/readyschools.

Thank you for doing your part to ensure our children have consistent access to in-person learning.