Schools and child care
Starting March 12, masks will no longer be required in many indoor public spaces including K-12 schools and child care facilities.
Public Health – Seattle & King County follows the guidance for schools and child care from the Washington Department of Health. School districts and child care facilities may choose to have students, teachers, and visitors wear masks even though the mask mandate is ending. Any individual who chooses to continue wearing a mask in school or childcare should be supported in their decision.
Teachers, parents and caregivers have been resourceful, creative, and patient in supporting at-home learning. Child care and early learning centers have been critical in supporting workers on the front line of our COVID-19 response. We commend all their efforts! Please check this site for updated guidance for schools and child care.
Report COVID-19 cases to Public Health
Use the link above to report “new or unreported” suspected outbreaks of COVID-19 among employees/residents/students/clients in schools/childcares.
If you do not hear from a Public Health Investigator and the number of cases significantly increase and/or cases associated with your facility are hospitalized or die as a result of their Covid-19 infection, please return to this portal to submit additional information about your facility.
Reporting Requirements:
Childcares: submit your initial report when you identify one or more staff/children who test positive for COVID-19.
K-12 Schools: submit your initial report if your school identifies 3+ staff, employees, or students in a specified core group who test positive for COVID-19 within a 14-day period.
Parents and guardians: if a child tests positive for COVID-19, please report the case to their school or child care center immediately. This helps to stop the virus from spreading, protect kids and staff, and keep facilities open.
People who use over-the-counter test kits and receive a positive result should call the Washington state COVID-19 hotline at 1‑800‑525‑0127, then press # (press 7 for Spanish), as soon as they receive results. The hotline is available Mondays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Tuesday through Sunday (and observed holidays) 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Language assistance is available.
Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) has adopted the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) schools and child care guidance. Please reference the following document: Requirements and Guidance to Mitigate COVID-19 Transmission in K-12 Schools, Child Care, Early Learning, Youth Development, and Day Camp Programs
Respond to confirmed case of COVID-19 in child care
- One or more individuals who have spent time in your facility have tested positive for COVID-19 (ex: child, staff or volunteer)
To notify Public Health:
- Call the COVID-19 Call Center between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. at 206‑477‑3977. Identify yourself as a child care provider. Interpreters are available.
- OR complete a COVID-19 Intake Survey. Public Health will respond with an email or phone call.
COVID-19 cases are increasing in King County
If you are worried about COVID-19 or have a positive case in your child care or early learning program, Public Health recommends the following steps to prevent COVID-19 from spreading:
- SCREEN: Continue to screen and exclude children and staff who have COVID-19 symptoms, even if symptoms are mild, for 10 days after last exposure in your program. The only way to know if the symptoms are due to COVID-19 or not is to test.
- MASK: If masking has been optional in your program, have all exposed staff and children (over 2 years) wear a high-quality (N95, KN95, KF94), well-fitted masks, regardless of vaccination status. Surgical or cloth masks with multiple layers of breathable, tightly-woven fabrics are other options.
- TEST: Potential close contacts, regardless of vaccination status, should get tested for COVID-19.
- Families should test children immediately and repeat testing every 5-7 days
- Staff should test immediately and repeat testing every 5-7 days
- If you need more tests, please use this link: OTC Test Kit Request Form (office.com )
- Recommend testing after a longer absence from child care, such as when returning from vacation or holiday.
- For children and staff who have COVID-19: consider requesting a negative COVID-19 test if the person plans to return before their 10-day isolation period is over. The test should be taken after day 5 of isolation.
- VENTILATION: Consider having an indoor ventilation and filtration assessment completed by Public Health – Seattle & King County Environmental Health COVID-19 Recovery Ventilation & Indoor Air Quality Program. This is free non-regulatory technical assistance to help you improve your ventilation and indoor air quality.
- Referral form to request a ventilation and filtration assessment
- Additional information on improving indoor air: kingcounty.gov/covid/air.
Additional resources
PHSKC Updated Mitigation Recommendations for K-12 Schools
If you identify concerns for ongoing or potential for initiation of COVD-19 transmission in a K-12 Schools, Public Health recommends implementing the following mitigation steps until COVID-19 transmission appears to have ended (e.g., for at least 10 days after the most recently identified illness onset OR most recent positive test if the case was asymptomatic).
Concerns for ongoing or potential for initiation of COVID-19 transmission in a K-12 Schools include identification of a cluster of cases (e.g., students in one specific classroom) or even one case who was contagious in a group with close contact (such as sports/PE class, theater group, etc.).
- When feasible, implement universal, indoor masking with high-quality (N95, KN95, KF94) and well-fitting masks among all exposed staff and students (including buses), regardless of vaccination status.
- Recommend increasing testing of potential close contacts regardless of vaccination status. Testing may be done at school or with over-the-counter tests at home.
- Test immediately and repeat testing every 5-7 days.
- If you need more tests, please contact your ESD OR order directly here: School Test Request Form (smartsheet.com )
- Recommend participants of large, school sanctioned gatherings (both onsite and offsite) test themselves for COVID-19 immediately before the event, or as close to the time of the event as possible.
- Consider holding these larger gatherings outdoors or places where indoor ventilation and filtration has been maximized to decrease COVID-19 transmission.
- Consider having an indoor ventilation and filtration assessment completed by Public Health – Seattle & King County Environmental Health COVID-19 Recovery Ventilation & Indoor Air Quality Program. This is free, non-regulatory technical assistance to help you improve your ventilation and indoor air quality.
- Referral form to request an ventilation and filtration assessment
- Additional information on improving indoor air: kingcounty.gov/covid/air
Below are local, state, and national resources to support school planning process for the fall semester:
Washington state resources
- Requirements and Guidance to Mitigate COVID-19 Transmission in K-12 Schools, Child Care, Early Learning, Youth Development, and Day Camp Programs, WA State Dept. of Health
- COVID-19 Symptom and Exposure Flowchart for Schools and Child Care, WA State Dept. of Health
Resources for school workplaces
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Prevention: General Requirements and Prevention Ideas for Workplaces, Department of Labor and Industries
For guidance on minimizing risk in student housing, see:
- Higher education recommendations for the 2021-2022 school year, Washington Department of Health
- COVID-19 Guidance for Shared or Congregate Housing, CDC
Below are local, state, and national resources to support school planning process for the fall semester:
King County resources
- Dashboard for key indicators of COVID-19 activity (including total cases for last 14 days per 100,000 residents)
- Guidance for graduation and other school ceremonies during the COVID-19 pandemic
Washington state and national resources
- COVID-19-related information on childcare, schools, colleges, and universities, Department of Health
- Colleges, Universities, and Higher Learning: Guidance to Plan, Prepare, and Respond, CDC
- FAQs for Administrators, CDC
- Young, Vaxxed and Back to School Toolkit, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
Resources for school workplaces
Guidance Documents
This toolkit pulls together information and resources so community leader, community and faith based organizations, childcare providers, schools, and other youth service providers can use what is in the toolkit to help answer questions, provide more information, and easily share the included resources.
This toolkit includes links to:
- Videos
- Flyers
- Social media graphics
- FAQs
- Tips on how to use these resources
Cleaning, sanitizing and disinfection in your school or child care
This short film describes the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfection and illustrates the best practices during COVID-19 and beyond to choose safer products and reduce kids and staff harmful exposures.
COVID-19 Disinfection & the New Ventilation Guidance
Question-and-answer session with Nancy Bernard, MPH, REHS, CPSI, manager of Washington State Department of Health’s (DOH) Indoor Air Quality and School Environmental Health and Safety Programs. Discussion topics include safer practices for disinfection in K-12 schools during the COVID pandemic and some of the issues/health reactions being reported. This is an accompaniment to DOH guidance on Ventilation and Air Quality for Reducing Transmission of COVID-19.
Link/share our site at kingcounty.gov/covid/schools