On Thursday, June 11, Governor Northam issued guidance for Virginia’s public and private higher education institutions to reopen their campuses and resume in-person instruction. Individual institutions must create reopening plans to align with guidance developed by the Office of the Secretary of Education, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, and the Virginia Department of Health. Plans must address the following considerations:
- Repopulation of the campus;
- Monitoring health conditions to detect COVID-19 infection;
- Containment to prevent spread of the COVID-19 when detected; and
- Shutdown considerations if necessitated by severe conditions and/or public health guidance.
(UPDATED) VDH Guidance for Students on College Campuses
English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean (9/29/20)
(UPDATED) Guidance for College Students Returning Home from Campuses Experiencing Outbreaks of COVID-19 and Their Families
English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean (9/29/20)
Quarantine vs Isolation Infographic (VDH)
When to End Isolation/Quarantine (VDH)
- (NEW) CDC Guidance for Testing, Screening, and Outbreak Response for IHE (9/30/20)
- Contact Tracing as a Partnership between VDH and Institutions of Higher Education (7/21/20)
- VDH Portal for Reporting Point-of-Care COVID-19 Lab Results
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Instructions: This portal will assist testing sites in meeting the requirement of the CARES Act to report every diagnostic and screening test performed to detect SARS-CoV-2 or to diagnose a possible case of COVID-19 (e.g., molecular, antigen, antibody). This portal allows the rapid entry of person-level test results for positive and negative results, and provides the ability to enter aggregate negative results as necessary for high-volume testing sites. All COVID-19 test results should be reported to VDH within 24-hours.
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- American College Health Association Guidelines for Reopening
- American College Health Association COVID-19 Resources
- CDC Print Resources
- CDC Communication Resources
Guidance
- (NEW) Guidance for Outdoor Time for Isolation/Quarantine (VDH) (10/21/20)
- Considerations for Monitoring and Evaluation of Mitigation Measures (CDC)
- Role of Public Health and College/Universities in Preparedness and Response Efforts (VDH) (6/4/20)
- State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV)
- CDC Guidance for Institutes of Higher Education
- CDC Considerations for Institutes of Higher Education
- CDC Guidance for Shared or Congregate Housing
Reporting Requirements
The new COVID-19 standard adopted by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry requires all employers to report positive cases of COVID-19 to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).
The Emergency Temporary Standard also provides that “The employer shall notify the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry within 24 hours of the discovery of three (3) or more employees present at the place of employment within a 14-day period testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus during that 14-day time period.”
COVID-19 case reports must be filed through the Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) online reporting portal. By using this portal, these case reports will ensure VDH and DOLI reporting compliance. The new online reporting portal allows employers to submit up to 10 COVID-19 positive cases.
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Cleaning
- Reopening guidance for cleaning and disinfection of schools (CDC)
- Cleaning and disinfection decision tree (CDC)
- Disinfectants for Coronavirus (COVID-19) (EPA)
- Cleaning your facility when someone has been diagnosed with COVID-19 (CDC)
- Water Quality in Closed/Reduced-use Buildings (EPA)
Communication and Signage
- The VDH Signage Toolkits for Businesses includes signage to promote hand hygiene, physical distancing, and to encourage mask use.
- COVID-19 One-Stop Shop Communication Toolkits (CDC)
- COVID Related Videos/PSA's (CDC)
- Print-ready resources (CDC)
- Hygiene-related Posters (CDC)
- Handwashing Activities for Children
Water Quality
If a building has been closed or unused for a period of time, there is an increased risk of exposure to hazards including Legionella bacteria and lead. Follow the EPA’s guidance for Water Quality in Closed/Reduced-use Buildings to reopen school buildings.
HVAC/Indoor Air Quality
More research is needed to determine how much of a role aerosol transmission plays in spreading COVID-19. Increasing ventilation in indoor spaces is one way to reduce potential spread by this route. The EPA’s website on Indoor Air and Coronavirus (COVID-19) has more information about how to reduce potential airborne transmission of COVID-19. The EPA also provides an Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has Guidance for Building Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Technical Resources for the Reopening of Schools and Universities. The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) also has Reopening Guidance for General Office Settings, which may be helpful for school facilities.
- Reopening guidance for cleaning and disinfection of schools (CDC)
Contact Information
- General questions can be addressed to respiratory@vdh.virginia.gov.
- Outbreaks should be reported to the Local Health Department.