Schools

How to Keep Your School Safe from COVID-19

1. Stay home when sick

• Staying home when sick can lower the risk of spreading communicable diseases. 
• Symptoms of COVID-19 may be mild and the best way to know if you or your child has COVID-19 is to get tested.

2. Test

Home tests provide accurate and timely results. Students and staff can use a home test provided by their school, healthcare provider, or purchase tests in a local pharmacy. Visit our testing webpage for a list of testing sites.

3.  If positive for COVID-19, visit the State of California Safe Schools for All Hub's Guidance.

• Stay home if you have COVID-19 symptoms, until you have not had a fever for 24 hours without using fever reducing medication AND other COVID-19 symptoms​ are mild and improving.​
  • ​​If you do not have symptoms, you should follow the recommend​​ations below to reduce exposure to others.
• Mask when you are around other people indoors for the 10 days* after you become sick or test positive (if no symptoms). You may remove your mask sooner than 10 days if you have two sequential negative tests at least one day apart. Day 0 is symptom onset date or positive test date.
• Avoid contact with people at higher-risk for severe COVID-19 for 10 days*. Higher-risk individuals include the elderly, those who live in congregate care facilities, those who have immunocompromising conditions, and that put them at higher risk for serious illness.
• Seek Treatment​. If you have symptoms, particularly if you are at higher risk for severe COVID-19, speak with a healthcare provider as soon as you test positive. You may be eligible for antiviral medicines or other treatments for COVID-19. COVID-19 antiviral medicines work best if taken as soon as possible, and within 5-7 days from when symptoms start. 
  • ​​Call 1-833-422-4255 if you are unable to contact a healthcare provider, or use the treatment options to find one.​

*The potential infectious period is 2 days before the date of symptoms began or the positive test date (if no symptoms) through Day 10. (Day 0 is the symptom onset date or positive test date). 

In workplaces, staff who test positive for COVID-19 must follow Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations criteria for returning to work and masking requirements.  

4. Notify close contacts

If you or your child tests positive, notify anyone outside of the school setting with whom you or child shared indoor space for 15 minutes or more in the two days before symptoms started or two days before the test if there were no symptoms.

Close contact(s) should follow CDC's guidance regarding exposure to respiratory viruses.  

5. Notify your school

Contact your school to inform them of the positive test result and to get information about when your child can return to school after testing positive.

Guidance for All Schools

Student & Family Resources

The Marin County Public Health guidance and resources below reflect both California Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. 

• COVID-19 guidance for TK-12 Schools, Child Cares and Youth Programs (English) (Spanish)
• Safety Guidance
  • Use of Masks / Face Coverings
  • Isolation & Precaution Guidance
  • COVID-19 Testing Resources
• Exposure Notices
  • Notice of Exposure (English / Spanish)

Guidance Documents

• Marin County Office of Education’s Health Safety and Support Webpage
• State of California Safe Schools for All Hub

School Status 

Local COVID-19 Surveillance Resources: With the shift from pandemic to endemic status, surveillance efforts now focus on community virus levels in wastewater, hospitalization rates, and outbreaks. The surveillance webpage is updated weekly with local data.

Marin County Office of Education website 

Marin County Office of Education’s Health Safety and Support Webpage is an excellent resource and landing page to bookmark for updated guidance and resources related to health and safety, including COVID-19 guidance and information.  

Marin County Office of Education’s Health Safety and Support Team can be reached via email at aconstantino@marinschools.org.  

Marin County HHS Schools and Child Care Team

Marin County HHS Schools and Child Care Team can be reached at:

• HHSSchools@marincounty.gov
• HHSChildcare@marincounty.gov
• 415-473-2398

CDPH Resources

• California Department of Public Health: CA Safe Schools for All