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COVID-19 Resources » COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19 Resources

The Hawai`i Department of Health recognizes the health benefits of children attending school in person, including the fundamental links between education and long-term health outcomes. The widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines, high levels of vaccination and immunity, increased access to testing, and effective treatments have significantly reduced the risk of severe COVID-19 disease, hospitalization, and death. These developments have enabled schools to maintain in-person learning and focus on their primary mission: optimizing the educational experience of students. The K-12 school guidance is based on the best available evidence to support healthy learning environments and will continue to be updated as new information becomes available. While this guidance is specific to COVID-19 prevention, many of the strategies help prevent the spread of other common infectious diseases such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and norovirus.

 

The updated Guidance for K-12 Schools is based on the best available evidence at this time and will continue to be updated as new information becomes available. The most recent key changes to the Guidance for Schools are highlighted in the summary box below.

 

Summary of guidance changes/updates as of June 2023:

  • CDC COVID-19 community level is no longer described as an indicator for mitigation strategies.
 
  • Clarification that this guidance applies to DOE preschool settings.
 
  • The recommendation is to stay up to date on routine vaccinations and not just COVID-19.
 
  • “Stay home when sick” applies more generally to when someone has symptoms of illness; not just COVID-19.
 
  • Information about the types of COVID-19 tests has been deleted and there is a hyperlink for a testing locator.
 
  • There is no mention of physical distancing (e.g., six feet) as a mitigation strategy.
 
  • Probable cases (i.e., no positive test result) and COVID-19 cases that have not impacted schools do not need to be reported using the CRT unless they are associated with an outbreak.
 
  • When someone tests positive for COVID-19, schools are not required to notify staff and parent(s)/legal guardian(s) of students. Positive cases are publicly reported online.
 
  • When there is a suspected cluster of cases or outbreak, schools must notify all impacted staff and parent(s)/legal guardian(s) of students. A communications template is provided for this purpose.
 
  • To facilitate access to the most recent information, the hyperlink for all DOH documents goes to the landing page health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/resources/school-guidance/.

 

To view COVID-19 HIDOE Case Count by school or to stay up to date, please visit the link below: https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/ConnectWithUs/MediaRoom/PressReleases/Pages/COVID-19-Information-Updates.aspx