NMPED News:
Los Alamos Public Schools Superintendent Kurt Steinhaus shares the following memo he and other superintendents just received from the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED).
COVID-19 Briefing Call for All Superintendents and Charter School Leaders
Today we anticipate that Gov. Michelle Luján Grisham and the New Mexico Department of Health will issue a public health order prohibiting congregations of more than 100 people after announcing that four New Mexico residents tested presumptive positive for COVID-19, the first confirmed cases in the state. This order was issued out of an abundance of caution and is meant to maximize social distancing.
For schools, this order will mean cancelling or rescheduling assemblies, school performances, and sporting events with anticipated attendance of more than 100 people. Complying with the order will also require schools to take all practical measures to limit crowds for activities such as lunch, while continuing to provide educational services. The Department of Health (NMDOH) also recommends suspending all volunteer activities involving high risk populations, e.g. seniors and individuals with weakened immune systems.
Below are procedures for keeping students and staff healthy in the event of identified cases of COVID-19 in your school community. As there are no vaccines or pharmaceutical therapeutics currently available to treat COVID-19, prevention is key to mitigating community spread and keeping our population healthy. The New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) has provided preparedness procedures schools can take and the department continues to recommend promoting good hygiene as one of the most important steps community leaders can take right now. This memo has been drafted to respond to some of our most frequently-asked questions from school leaders and to provide general policy guidance as we work with the U.S. Department of Education and local school leaders to determine how to best serve the educational needs of our students while keeping our communities healthy.
Points of Contact and Reporting Processes
In the event that you have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in your school community, please inform NMPED [505-827-1421] and the NMDOH [505-827-0006] immediately. An identified case may include a student, member of staff, or family member. Also, if any of the following are true for those individuals, call the NMDOH at (505) 827-0006:
● They have fever, cough, or shortness of breath, and in the 14 days before your symptoms started, they visited China, Iran, Italy, South Korea, or were in contact with a person known to have COVID-19
● They do not have fever, cough, or shortness of breath, but they did travel to China, Iran, Italy, or South Korea, in the last 14 days, or were in contact with a person known to have COVID-19
For additional questions regarding COVID-19, please contact the NMDOH coronavirus hotline [855-6003453].
Glossary of Terms see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/risk-assessment.html for more information:
Symptoms compatible with COVID-19, for the purpose of these recommendations, include subjective or measured fever, cough, or difficulty breathing.
Self-observation means people should remain alert for subjective fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. If they feel feverish or develop cough or difficulty breathing during the self-observation period, they should take their temperature, self-isolate, limit contact with others, and seek advice by telephone from a healthcare provider or their local health department to determine whether medical evaluation is needed.
Self-monitoring means people should monitor themselves for fever by taking their temperatures twice a day and remain alert for cough or difficulty breathing. If they feel feverish or develop measured fever, cough, or difficulty breathing during the self-monitoring period, they should self-isolate, limit contact with others, and seek advice by telephone from a healthcare provider or their local health department to determine whether medical evaluation is needed.
Active monitoring means that the state or local public health authority assumes responsibility for establishing regular communication with potentially exposed people to assess for the presence of fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. For people with high-risk exposures, CDC recommends this communication occurs at least once each day. The mode of communication can be determined by the state or local public health authority and may include telephone calls or any electronic or internet-based means of communication.
Cessation of Normal Operations means that the school has had to close for an extended period of time or has had to dramatically shift its service delivery model for an extended period of time. Dramatic service delivery model shifts could include moving to an all online format, closing large portions of the campus and other significant changes.
Community spread means people have been infected with the virus in an area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019ncov/about/transmission.html
Close contact is defined as: a) being within approximately 6 feet (2 meters) of a COVID-19 case for a prolonged period of time; close contact can occur while caring for, living with, visiting, or sharing a healthcare waiting area or room with a COVID-19 case – or – b) having direct contact with infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case (e.g., being coughed on) Isolation means the separation of a person or group of people known or reasonably believed to be infected with a communicable disease and potentially infectious from those who are not infected to prevent spread of the communicable disease.
Isolation for public health purposes may be voluntary or compelled by federal, state, or local public health order.
Public health orders are legally enforceable directives issued under the authority of a relevant federal, state, or local entity that, when applied to a person or group, may place restrictions on the activities undertaken by that person or group, potentially including movement restrictions or a requirement for monitoring by a public health authority, for the purposes of protecting the public’s health. Federal, state, or local public health orders may be issued to enforce isolation, quarantine or conditional release. The list of quarantinable communicable diseases for which federal public health orders are authorized is defined by Executive Order and includes “severe acute respiratory syndromes.” COVID-19 meets the definition for “severe acute respiratory syndromes” as set forth in Executive Order 13295, as amended by Executive Order 13375 and 13674, and, therefore, is a federally quarantinable communicable disease.
Quarantine in general means the separation of a person or group of people reasonably believed to have been exposed to a communicable disease but not yet symptomatic, from others who have not been so exposed, to prevent the possible spread of the communicable disease.
Congregate settings are crowded public places where close contact with others may occur, such as shopping centers, movie theaters, stadiums.
Social distancing means remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible.
School Closures & Make-Up Time Attendance Monitoring
● Schools should monitor attendance patterns and inform NMPED and NMDOH if they have had a significant decrease in school attendance for both students and staff, especially due to influenzalike illness.
Initial Response to Positive or Presumptive Tests
If a person connected with the school is exhibiting indicative symptoms, they should not be present at the school. Good hygiene practices should be used to protect all students and staff.
If a person who has been at the school within the past 48 hours tests positive or has a presumptive test outcome, then the school administration should:
● Please contact the NMDOH Coronavirus Hotline at 855-600-3453 and NMPED at 505-827-1421. ● Close the school to students and all staff for 24 hours; ● After 24 hours, begin disinfecting the school and keep it closed to other staff and students for an additional 24 hours; ● Disinfect school facilities and school buses, including contractor-owned buses; ● Exclude the affected individual from attending school or school-related activities immediately and for the next 14 days and until they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication; ● Notify NMPED and NMDOH to discuss the situation and make decisions about whether or not an extended closure is warranted; ● To the extent possible, allow excluded students to participate online or take home independent work.
If a household member of a person connected with the school tests positive or has a presumptive test outcome, then the school administration should:
● Please contact the NMDOH Coronavirus Hotline at 855-600-3453 and NMPED at 505-827-1421. ● Close the school to students and all staff for 24 hours; ● After 24 hours, begin disinfecting the school and keep it closed to other staff and students for an additional 24 hours; ● Exclude from school and associated school activities individuals who have had close contact with an affected person immediately and for 14 days after the diagnosis of the most recent confirmed case in the household and until all household members are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication; ● Disinfect school facilities and school buses, including contractor-owned buses; ● Advise individuals with a presumptive or positive test to take measures to self-quarantine; ● Notify NMPED and NMDOH to discuss the situation and make decisions about whether or not an extended closure is warranted; ● To the extent possible, allow excluded students to participate online or take home independent work.
If a person connected with the school has been in close contact with a person who has tested positive or has a presumptive test outcome, then the school administrator should:
● Contact the NMDOH Coronavirus Hotline at 855-600-3453 and NMPED at 505-827-1421; ● Exclude individual(s) who have had close contact with an affected person from school for a minimum of 14 days and until they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication; ● To the extent possible, allow excluded students to participate online or take home independent work.
Procedures for Cessation of Normal Operations
● When a school is closed due to an occurrence of COVID-19 and there is evidence of community spread of the virus, then consult the NMDOH and NMPED to discuss whether or not an extended closure. ● Report to NMPED by 8:30 a.m. if they have decided to close or cease normal operations. ● Rather than extended closure, NMPED may recommend cessation of normal operations such that schools remain open for staff while students stay at home. By doing so, staff members can
1) continue to develop and deliver lessons and materials remotely to allow for continuity of teaching and learning and
2) to allow other staff members to continue to provide services and help with additional response efforts. These days will be counted as instructional days and will not need to be made up.
● When planning for cessation of normal operations, schools should make appropriate efforts to:
○ Maintain normal record keeping;
○ Offer meal programs to students;
○ Provide essential medical and social services for students;
○ Assure that students needing accommodations are considered in developing plans for closure;
○ Maintain communication with staff, students, and families in appropriate languages.
○ Cancel extracurricular group activities; ○ Encourage staff and students to practice social distancing;
○ Make Staff compensation, benefits, and leave decisions at the local level with appropriate stakeholders.
● Other considerations upon review with NMDOH:
○ If the confirmed case(s) has no epidemiological link to travel or a known case then that increases the likelihood of a closure recommendation. The local epidemiological context such as the number of cases, severity and phase of the outbreak, and identifying where most of the transmission is occurring should be considered before making the decision to close or dismiss a school(s).
○ Making the decision for extended school site closure will require evaluating the potential health benefit of reducing transmission.
○ Making the decision to close an entire school district will involve guidance from the NM Department of Health and the state epidemiologist and will be made on a case by case basis.
School Re-Opening
● Consult with the NMDOH and NMPED. The decision about reopening the school will be made jointly based on local conditions in the school and community. ● It is recommended to close off areas and wait as long as practical before beginning cleaning and disinfection to minimize potential for exposure to respiratory droplets. Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area. If possible, wait up to 24 hours before beginning cleaning and disinfection. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html. ● Proceed with environmental cleaning and disinfection of the school, following the directions in Appendix A. Disinfect commonly used surfaces (e.g. keyboards, desks, remote controls) before each use by students and staff. ● Plan to provide help and support to students and staff who may have had family, friends, and coworkers who experienced severe illness or died from COVID-19. ● Educate staff members to encourage students to wash their hands frequently, cover their cough or sneeze into their sleeve or tissue, and avoid contact with people who are coughing or sneezing. Place “wash your hands” and “cover your cough” posters throughout the school (available on CDC website). ● Schools should expect to make-up missed days to the greatest extent possible. NMPED will work with districts and charters on a case by case basis for extenuating circumstances.
APPENDIX A
Cleaning & Disinfecting
The following recommendations are based on CDC’s Interim Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations for US Community Facilities with Suspected/Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019: Cleaning and disinfection after persons suspected/confirmed to have COVID-19 have been in the facility ● Close off areas used by ill persons and wait as long as practical before beginning cleaning and disinfection. Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation. If possible, wait up to 24 hours before beginning cleaning and disinfection. ● Cleaning staff should clean and disinfect all areas (classrooms, bathrooms, common areas) used by the ill persons with a special focus on frequently touched surfaces (doorknobs, light switches, countertops).
How to Clean and Disinfect Surfaces
● Dirty surfaces should be cleaned using detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection. ● For soft (porous) surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes, remove visible contamination if present and clean with appropriate cleaners as indicated for use on those surfaces. ● Disinfection: diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective. ● Products with the EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claims may also be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions for both hard and soft surfaces.
How to Clean and Disinfect Linens, Clothing, or Other Items that go in the Laundry
● Do not shake dirty laundry to minimize dispersing virus in the air. ● Wash items as appropriate in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. If possible, launder items using the warmest appropriate water setting and dry completely. ● Dirty laundry that has been in contact with an ill person can be washed with other people’s items. ● Clean and disinfect hampers or other carts used for transporting laundry.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Cleaning staff should wear disposable gloves and gowns for all tasks in the cleaning process, including handling trash. ● Gloves and gowns should be removed carefully to avoid contamination of the wearer and surrounding area. Be sure to clean hands after removing gloves. ● If there is a risk of splash, goggles or face shield may be used.
Communications with Families
COVID-19 is causing widespread anxiety across the country and misinformation abounds. NMPED recommends frequent, transparent updates to parents and school communities that share properly vetted information from trusted sources like the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the New Mexico Department of Health. NMPED has provided a sample Community Update (NMPED) and Letter to Parents (Los Alamos Public Schools) in our shared resources folder on Google Drive. Please check the date of any resources and always ensure that you are sharing the most current information.
School Trips & Travel
NMPED strongly discourages all student and staff travel both in-state and out-of-state. All employees, students and families who have traveled out-of-state since February 27, 2020 should call the DOH Coronavirus Hotline at 1-855-600-3453. For students who are out-of-state as of March 12, 2020, please fill out this form and email it to Nancy Martira at Nancy.Martira@state.nm.us.
Continuity of Meals
Due to COVID-19, social distancing may be necessary to avoid spread of the virus. To address this important issue, our state requested three waivers from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on March 10. We hope to get a final response by early next week, but do not yet have a confirmed notification date from USDA. The three waivers requested of USDA are 1. to provide meals via the “grab and go” method; 2. to provide shelf stable meals; and, 3. to enable School Food Authorities to serve meals in a non-congregate setting and at school sites. In addition, the PED is working in collaboration with the New Mexico School Nutrition Association (SNA) to develop plans to continue meal service to students if and when we are granted the requested USDA waivers.
As soon as NMPED gets the final word from USDA, it will distribute guidance on the waiver and a vetted plan to all School Food Authorities.
Special Education
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is working on formal guidance to states regarding COVID-19. If academic services are provided at any point for any length of time , those services must be provided to all students. Supports identified on a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) must be provided and districts must communicate service changes to Individualized Education Plans. The following links may be useful to provide information for your schools. The Department of Education (DOE) Coronavirus webpage: https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus The Department’s previously issued guidance related to H1N1 https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/h1n1-idea-qa.pdf
Other Resources
Should a school outbreak of COVID-19 necessitate resources such as recommended personal protective equipment, and should that equipment not be available to a school, a school may consider contacting the local emergency manager (county or municipal) to know what resources are available in that jurisdiction to slow or stop the spread of the outbreak. In the event that a school or district needs to adjust resource allocation to support distance learning, supplemental cleaning supplies or personal protective equipment, federal programs such as Title I (24101), Title IV Part A (24189) or IDEA-B (24106) may be available to support the needs of the school. For Title I, a school expense, such as those cited above, would need to be referenced in a school’s schoolwide plan, which can be updated as needed. For questions on Title I expenditures please contact your Title I bureau representative or Louie Torrez at 505.827.1864. For Title IV Part A, an amendment to the district or charter school Title IV Part A application would need to be made if such expenses are not already part of the Title IV Part A application. For application amendments, please contact your Title IV representative or Gregory Frostad at 505.827.1806. For IDEA-B funding to support the individualized needs of special education students during an outbreak, please contact your special education bureau representative or Deborah Dominguez-Clark at 505.827.1423. Additionally, we encourage you to check in with CDC and Department of Health Resources for the most up-to-date information on the situation. New Mexico Department of Health Coronavirus Updates Page Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Coronavirus Disease Page CDC COVID-19 Framework for Mitigation CDC Guide to Keeping Workplaces Safe CDC COVID-19 Travel Updates PED Shared Google Folder for School Administrators