Make sure staff and families know where to find accurate information.
Point them to our website, Washington State Department of Health and CDC.
Helpful tools for schools.
- DOH guidance for graduation ceremonies.
- DOH guidance for K-12 – Fall.
- DOH guidance for K-12 – Summer.
Model and encourage healthy habits.
We can all take these steps to safeguard our health.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water and for at least 20 seconds.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes.
- Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces.
- Stay at home and away from others if you are sick.
- Get your flu shot if you haven’t yet. Flu activity in the county is still elevated.
Help reduce anxiety about COVID-19.
Teach children how they can protect themselves against illness. Evidence suggests COVID-19 is generally mild in children. Those at risk for severe illness are over age 65, have health conditions or are pregnant.
Helpful tools.
- Mary Bridge Children’s—Helping Children Cope.
- Kids Health—How to talk to talk to your child about COVID-19.
- National Public Radio’s comic strip Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus.
Review and update your emergency operations plan.
Update your plan to include information about COVID-19. You don’t need to start from scratch—you can update your plan from 2009’s H1N1 pandemic.
These tools can help shape your plan.
- CDC—Interim guidance for schools.
- FEMA—Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations.
- CDC—Colleges and Universities Pandemic Influenza Checklist.
- CDC—Interim Guidance for Administrators of U.S. Institutions of Higher Education.
- OSPI—COVID-19 Guidance, Resources and School Closures
Include this information in the plan:
- Contact information for the Health Department.
- Options for virtual learning or a plan to make up days if your school closes.
- Process for sharing information with students and families.