On August 28, 2023, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) published Guidance for K-12 Schools and Child Care Settings to Support Safe In-Person Services and Mitigate the Spread of Communicable Diseases, 2023-2024 School Year. This new document updates and replaces the following guidance documents:
- COVID-19 Guidance for Child Care Providers and Programs.
- COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K–12 Schools to Support Safe In-Person Learning, 2022-2023 School Year.
- Preliminary Testing Framework for K–12 Schools for the 2022-2023 School Year, pursuant to California Education Code section 32096.
The new guidance covers mitigation strategies to reduce the spread of multiple types of infections, including COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and norovirus. It also includes in-depth information on the following:
- Staying up-to-date on vaccinations
- Optimizing indoor air quality
- Using face masks
- Maintaining good hygiene practices
- Managing individuals with symptoms of infection
- Reporting diseases to local health departments
- Cleaning facilities
- Conducting testing for communicable diseases like COVID-19
In addition, the following guidance documents also received non-substantive edits to include updated links to the new 23/24 school year guidance and contact information:
- School Testing for COVID-19
- Frequently Asked Questions around K-12 Testing
- Senate Bill 1479 Implementation Questions and Answers
As a reminder, districts are still subject to the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations, or in some workplaces the Cal/OSHA Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) Standard. For questions regarding any of the CDPH updates, contact Scarlett Sadler.