COVID-19 Response Recommendations for Colleges and Universities
Disease Prevention Guidance
What to do when you find out about a person with COVID-19 at your site
Reporting Guidance
How to Report
Disease Prevention
OCHCA continues to strongly encourage vaccination against COVID-19 for all eligible students and staff at institutions of higher education (IHE). Information on current vaccine recommendations can be found at the CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccines page.
IHE should assure that students and visitors adhere to California Department of Public Health’s Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings.
Staff at IHE must adhere to Cal/OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS). FAQs about the ETS are available here https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/coronavirus/Revisions-FAQ.html
What to do if you find out about a person with COVID-19 at your site
When businesses, including IHE, are made aware of a person with COVID-19 in the workplace, the first step is to make sure that person is in isolation per CDPH Isolation & Quarantine Guidance. If they are still onsite, send them home.
Offer COVID-19 testing to potentially exposed employees that shared an indoor airspace with a person with COVID-19 while they were infectious, for 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.
Reporting
IHEs should report outbreaks or unusual occurrences of communicable disease per California Public Health Department Cal. Code Regs. tit. 17 § 2508 “…shall be the duty of anyone in charge of a public or private school, kindergarten, boarding school, or day nursery to report at once to the local health officer the presence or suspected presence of any of the communicable diseases...”.
Should you have any questions or need clarification or consultation, please contact us directly CCICOVIDSchools@ochca.com.
As employers, IHEs are mandated to report outbreaks (three or more cases) among staff in line with Cal/OSHA ETS.
IHEs should:
- Adhere to CDPH guidelines
- Adhere to the OC Health Officer's Orders and Recommendations
- Adhere to CalOSHA ETS FAQs https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/coronavirus/COVID19FAQs.html#testing
- Notify Orange County Health Care Agency of Outbreak (s) or unusual occurrences
How to Report COVID-19 cases to Orange County
Orange County Public Health has moved to electronic reporting of COVID-19 cases and exposures by schools, and businesses. Click on the link below to learn how you can fulfill your reporting responsibilities electronically.
To contact Orange County Public Health Department e-mail:
For Students: OCSPOTSchools@ochca.com For Staff: OCCOVIDBuisness@ochca.com
If you are unsure where to report, please free to contact us @ either email address above.
