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COVID-19 Resources

COVID Guidelines

The Oregon Health Authority has updated COVID guidelines. The information below will let you know what information will stay the same and what will be changing.

What is changing?  

Isolation guidelines:  

A five-day period of isolation for those testing positive for COVID-19 will no longer be recommended for Oregon’s general population. Instead, OHA recommends people testing positive with COVID-19 need to: 

  • Stay at home until they are fever-free for 24 hours with improving symptoms  
  • Avoid contact with people at high risk of severe illness 
  • Consider masking for 10 days  

As with the general population, OHA recommends people working in child care who test positive for COVID-19 need to: 

  • Stay at home until they are fever-free for 24 hours with improving symptoms  
  • Avoid contact with people at high risk of severe illness 
  • Consider masking for 10 days 

Vaccination requirements:  

As of Saturday, June 17, 2023 staff and volunteers in school-based child care settings will no longer be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 

What is staying the same?  

Quarantine guidelines:  

Most people exposed to COVID-19 (i.e., close contacts) do not need to quarantine (i.e., stay away from other people during the time they are most likely to become infected).  

All close contacts, regardless of vaccination status or prior infection with COVID-19 are recommended to:  

  • Watch for COVID-19 like symptoms for 10 days after their last exposure. 
  • Avoid unnecessary visits with high-risk individuals (e.g., residents of congregate care facilities, persons with immunocompromising conditions, etc.).  
  • Get tested at least 5 days after last exposure if they live or work with high-risk individuals. Note: A single, negative antigen test result does not rule out infection.  

If you begin to show symptoms, get tested, and isolate until 24 hours fever-free and symptoms are improving.   

Outbreak reporting and monitoring: 

In the case of an outbreak, programs will need to let all families and other individuals know as soon as possible if there has been a case of COVID19 on the premises. Programs should notify families of an exposure so they can watch for symptoms or test.   

Programs also need to notify the Local Public Health Authority immediately of unusually high levels of absenteeism (on any given day) due to respiratory illnesses (symptoms may include new cough, fever, shortness of breath, congestion/runny nose, and new loss of taste or smell).    

  • In home-based child care programs, providers must report to Local Public Health Authority when there are three or more staff or children absent due to respiratory illness.   
  • In center-based, recorded, and school-based child care programs, providers must report to Local Public Health Authority when there are 10 or more staff or children absent due to respiratory illness.  
  • Programs do not need to report elevated absenteeism when there is a non-disease related reason (i.e., day before or after a holiday or long weekend, child care children are participating in an out-of-school activity, etc.). 

You can find contact information for reporting by visiting the Oregon Health Authority website: https://www.oregon.gov/OHA/PH/ProviderPartnerResources/LocalHealthDepartmentResources/Pages/lhd.aspx  

Communicable Disease Plans:  

As per Oregon Health Authority in OAR 333, Division 19 (OAR 333-019-1005), child care providers must have a written communicable disease management plan for preventing and controlling communicable disease. 

Prevention:  

The best prevention strategies are:   

  • Vaccination and booster doses  
  • Staying home if ill 
  • Masks 
  • Ventilation and airflow 
  • Hand hygiene and covering appropriately when coughing 
  • Cleaning practices 

CDC COVID Hospital Levels 

CDC’s COVID-19 Hospital Levels help communities and individuals make decisions on what COVID-19 prevention strategies to use based on disease transmission rates in the community. The metrics are updated weekly. You can refer to the CDC map for the latest information. These levels factor in a combination of COVID-19 hospitalization rates, healthcare capacity, and cases.

With counties’ transmission levels changing weekly, there is a need for increased prevention strategies in child care during “high risk” periods. When transmission is “high” in your community, we recommend the following:

  • Implement universal indoor masking. All individuals (aged 2 and older) should wear a well-fitting face –covering indoors regardless of vaccination status. Face coverings are effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases.
  • Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. Information about vaccinations can be found at https://getvaccinated.oregon.gov.
  • Be aware of COVID-19 symptoms, and individuals should be excluded if symptoms develop. If symptomatic, it is recommended they get tested for COVID-19.
  • A child or staff member, regardless of vaccination status, should stay at home if they have primary symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, chills, shortness of breath, new cough, or new loss of taste or smell), or go home if symptoms develop while at a child care facility, and get tested.

Additional Resources for Providers & Families

The Early Learning Division, in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority, updated requirements for managing COVID-19 in child care. Please continue to stay connected via the Child Care Updates newsletter.