On August 14, 2020, the PA Department of Health (PDH) and the PA Department of Education (PDE) provided recommendations to school leaders for responding to confirmed cases of COVID-19 among students or staff. The recommendations are based on the level of community transmission and number of cases over a 14-day period.

The recommendations are as follows:

• One (1) Case: Areas where the infected person spent time should be cleaned.
• Two (2) to Four (4) Cases in the Same School Building: The building should close for three (3) to seven (7) days, depending on the level of community transmission in the county in which the school is located. Areas where the infected people spent time should be cleaned.
• Five (5) or More Cases in the Same School Building: The school should close for 14 days, and the entire building should be cleaned.

When an entire school is recommended to close, lengths of closure time will vary by level of community transmission and number of cases. This allows public health staff the necessary time to complete case investigations and contact tracing, and to provide schools with other appropriate public health advice like cleaning and disinfecting. Regardless of the number of cases, schools are advised to engage in contact tracing.

If there is a substantial level of community transmission, it is recommended that schools shut down and use a fully remote instructional model.

State officials are expressing a willingness to work with school officials to advise regarding cleaning, contact tracing, quarantining, and closure determinations.

A chart for determining the actions to take can be found on the PDE website by clicking here.