Please find Superintendent Hansen's latest message to the community, addressing the announcement made by Governor Newsom last night, at https://www.smore.com/0ceyt

 

Encuentre el último mensaje del Superintendente Hansen a la comunidad, respondiendo al anuncio hecho por el Gobernador Newsom anoche, en https://www.smore.com/ft5b9

 

Please find the latest update from Superintendent Hansen, including information about the Education Center/District Office and tips to talk to kids about COVID-19, at https://www.smore.com/adyvq

Encuentre la última actualización del Superintendente Hansen, incluida información sobre el Centro de Educación / Oficina del Distrito y consejos para hablar con los niños sobre COVID-19, en https://www.smore.com/7np95

Message from Dr. Hansen

Mensaje de la Dra. Hansen

Message from Dr. Hansen

Mensaje de la Dra. Hansen

3/17/20 CDE & CHHSA Letter COVID-19 Update

Message from Dr. Hansen - March 13, 2020

Mensaje del Dra. Hansen - 13 de marzo, 2020 (documento PDF)

The 2019 novel coronavirus has caused great anxiety in our schools and communities. While local health officials have yet to confirm a case of community transmission, we simply do not yet know how this will ultimately impact our county. Simply put, we are in uncharted waters, and the time has come to hit the pause button until we know more.

As a precautionary step to slow and prevent the spread of COVID-19, and after careful deliberations with local school district leaders and in consultation with the Orange County Health Care Agency, I hereby support the decision of schools and districts in our county to suspend all activity for a minimum of 14 days.

This is not a decision we take lightly. We know that temporarily closing a school has a tremendous impact on our families, and steps will need to be implemented to support the continuity of learning and to ensure students have access to healthy meals. But the safety of our students and staff remains our top priority, and we have confidence that this is the proper precautionary course for Orange County.

At this time, county health officials believe the risk of transmission is low, and there has been no evidence of a case affecting a student or staff member at an Orange County school. The Orange County Health Care Agency continues to work with federal, state, and local partners including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and health care providers on preparedness efforts and to guide appropriate care for those who may be at risk for illness associated with the virus.

The Orange County Department of Education has been stepping up its efforts to produce content and materials to help support learning at home. While it is not possible to replace an instructional day or provide comprehensive course content with online resources or take-home packets, we can develop resources and strategies to provide a continuity of learning.

Districts that dismiss students due to pandemics will be eligible to seek funding emergency relief through the California Department of Education’s J-13A waiver process. In addition, we are asking California leaders to provide credit for lost instructional time.

The Orange County Department of Education will continue to work diligently with local districts to make sure our schools and students are supported during and after this hiatus.

Thank you for your efforts to keep our children and our communities safe.

Dr. Al Mijares
Orange County Superintendent of Schools

Dear Orange Unified School District Community,

The safety and health of our students and employees are our number one priority. Based on the new guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) regarding “mass gatherings” and the need for social distancing, effective immediately all the following school related activities will be suspended until the end of Spring Break (April 6) or pending further guidance. 

• All large student and staff gatherings are postponed, as well as off-campus visits by students and staff to public places where crowds may gather – field trips, conferences, outside travel will be suspended.
• Student events on campus and athletic competitions may continue at this time, though without spectators (until further notice).
• All use by outside organizations of school facilities are suspended.
• Anyone who has travelled outside of the country (specified by the Center of Disease Control) in the past 14 days is not allowed on school campuses or in administrative offices.

  CDC recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to the following destinations. Entry of foreign nationals from these destinations has been suspended.

  • China (Level 3 Travel Health Notice)
  • Iran (Level 3 Travel Health Notice)
  • Most of Europe (Level 3 Travel Health Notice)

For more information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html

 

Intended to slow the spread of COVID-19, the updated policy from the California Department of Public Health says “non-essential” gatherings must be limited to no more than 250 people. Smaller events can proceed only if organizers can implement social distancing of 6 feet apart. This guidance does not apply to activities such as attendance at regular school classes, work, or essential services per the CDPH guidelines

I want to clarify that no student, staff member or person associated with OUSD has tested positive for the Coronavirus. It is based on the CDPH Guidance that we are suspending all large gatherings and practicing social distancing measures. 

If you have any questions regarding school events, please contact your principal for further direction. Regular school classes and activities will continue unless further guidance is received. 

We understand that parents may decide to keep their students home in this situation, however, the standard absence policies apply at this time.  Please keep up to date on our notifications regarding online learning and home instruction activities which are under development and will be posted to the website at www.orangeusd.org/COVID-19-information.

Thank you for your partnership with our schools. Working together we can protect the health of our community and provide accurate information.

 

Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Orange Unified School District

 

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Estimada Comunidad del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Orange:

 

La seguridad y la salud de nuestros estudiantes y empleados es nuestra prioridad número uno. Basado en la nueva guía del Departamento de Salud Pública de California (CDPH) con respecto a las "reuniones masivas" y la necesidad de distanciamiento social, efectivo inmediatamente, todas las actividades relacionadas con la escuela serán suspendidas hasta el final de las vacaciones de primavera (6 de abril) o hasta que recibamos más dirección.

• Se posponen todas las reuniones grandes de estudiantes y personal, también visitas fuera de la escuela de los estudiantes y el personal a lugares públicos donde se pueden reunir multitud de personas: se suspenderán los viajes de campo, las conferencias y los viajes.

• Los eventos de los estudiantes en las escuelas y las competiciones deportivas pueden continuar en este momento, pero sin espectadores (hasta que recibimos nuevo aviso).

• Se suspende todo uso de las instalaciones escolares por parte de organizaciones externas.

• Cualquier persona que haya viajado fuera del país (especificado por el Centro de Control de Enfermedades) en los últimos 14 días no está permitido en las escuelas o en las oficinas administrativas.

El CDC recomienda que los viajeros eviten todos los viajes no esenciales a los siguientes destinos. Se ha suspendido la entrada de extranjeros desde estos destinos.

China (Aviso de Salud para Viaje Nivel 3)
Irán (Aviso de Salud para Viaje Nivel 3)
La mayor parte de Europa (Aviso de Salud para Viaje Nivel 3)

Para más información: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html

 

Con la intención de prevenir la propagación de COVID-19, la póliza actualizada del Departamento de Salud Pública de California dice que las reuniones "no esenciales" deben limitarse a no más de 250 personas. Los eventos más pequeños pueden continuar solo si los organizadores pueden implementar un distanciamiento social de 6 pies de distancia. Esta guía no se aplica a actividades como la asistencia a clases regulares de la escuela, el trabajo o los servicios esenciales según las guías de CDPH.

Yo quiero aclarar que ningún estudiante, miembro del personal o persona asociada con OUSD ha tenido un diagnóstico positivo de Coronavirus. Se basa en la Guía del CDPH que estamos suspendiendo todas las reuniones grandes y practicando medidas de distanciamiento social.

Si tiene cualquier pregunta sobre los eventos escolares, comuníquese con su director/a para obtener más dirección. Las clases y actividades escolares regulares continuarán a menos que se reciba más recomendaciones.

Entendemos que los padres pueden decidir mantener a sus estudiantes en casa en esta situación, sin embargo, las pólizas de ausencia estándar se aplican en este momento. Manténgase actualizado sobre nuestras notificaciones sobre el aprendizaje en línea y las actividades de instrucción en el hogar que están en desarrollo y se publicarán en el sitio web en www.orangeusd.org/COVID-19-information.

Gracias por su asociación con nuestras escuelas. Trabajando juntos podemos proteger la salud de nuestra comunidad y proporcionar información precisa.

Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D.
Superintendente de Escuelas

 

California public health officials late last night issued an updated policy on gatherings to protect public health and slow the spread of COVID-19.  

The state’s public health experts have determined that gatherings should be postponed or canceled across the state until at least the end of March. Non-essential gatherings must be limited to no more than 250 people, while smaller events can proceed only if the organizers can implement social distancing of 6 feet per person. Gatherings of individuals who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should be limited to no more than 10 people, while also following social distancing guidelines.

Here's the complete guidance, which should replace all previous recommendations:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/Gathering_Guidance_03.11.20.pdf

 

 

Message from Dr. Hansen - March 10, 2020

DOWNLOAD 
COVID-19 Letter from Orange County Dept. of Edudcation (OCDE)

Message from the Superintendent: March 5, 2020

Mensaje del Superintendente: 5 de marzo 2020

Message from the Superintendent: January 28, 2020 

Mensaje del Superintendente: 28 de enero de 2020

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some coronaviruses cause cold-like illnesses in people. Others cause illness in certain types of animals, such as cattle, camels and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can spread to people. This happened with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The virus that causes COVID-19 likely also originated in an animal and spread to humans. The coronavirus most similar to the virus causing COVID-19 is SARS. There are ongoing investigations to learn more. COVID-19 was first identified when it caused an outbreak of respiratory illness in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in 2019.

Coronaviruses cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). As with any newly emerging infectious disease, knowledge about COVID-19 is evolving with time. At this point, it is clear that the virus can pass person-to-person and cause severe disease.

Current knowledge of how COVID-19 spreads is largely based on what is known about similar coronaviruses, such as MERS and SARS.

Most often, spread of these viruses from person- to-person happens among close contact (within about 6 feet for a prolonged period). Person-to-person spread is thought to occur mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread. It is currently unclear if a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.

With most respiratory viruses, people are thought to be most contagious when they are the sickest.  Research to clarify the transmissibility, severity, and other features associated with COVID-19 is ongoing. This information will further inform the risk assessment.

 

At this time, the risk to the general public is low. As a point comparison, in a typical flu season there are hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. alone.

While COVID-19 began in China, it is now spreading to other countries. It is not possible to identify all people who may be incubating an infection; therefore, clinicians and healthcare systems must remain alert and ask persons with respiratory symptoms about their travel history.

International travelers should also be aware of this outbreak and be sure to review COVID-19 guidance for international travelers from the CDC at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html. Because this situation is changing rapidly, it is important to know the most current recommendations when traveling.  The HCA is working with our healthcare systems to help them detect any infections as quickly as possible.

Visit the CDC website that identifies the Risk Assessment Level for affected countries, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html.

If you returned from a country with widespread transmission, stay home for 14 days from the time you left and area with widespread, ongoing community spread. Take the following steps to monitor your health and practice social distancing;

• Take your temperature with a thermometer two times a day and monitor for fever and watch for cough or trouble breathing.
• Stay home and avoid contact with others. Do not go to work or school for this 14-day period. Discuss your work situation with your employer before returning to work.
• Keep your distance from others, approximately 6 feet.

 If you feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing within this 14-day period, you should:

• Seek medical care. Before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
• Avoid contact with others.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to avoid spreading the virus to others. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. 

For additional information, visit the CDC website, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent novel coronavirus infection, although scientists at the National Institute of Health reported they are going to take steps towards the development of a vaccine. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Right now, COVID-19 has not been found to be spreading in Orange County, so there are no additional precautions recommended for residents to take. However, as a reminder, the CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recommend that people who are healthy wear a facemask in order to try to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility). Learn more here.

There is no specific antiviral treatment recommended for novel coronavirus infection. People infected with novel coronavirus should receive supportive care to help relieve symptoms.

The OC Health Care Agency’s Public Health Services team currently arranges testing with each individual’s health care provider and/or hospital once they have met specific criteria established by the CDC. As the situation evolves and testing capacity increases, the CDC recommendations may change. HCA continues to monitor CDC guidance to inform testing in Orange County. Walk-ins to our public health clinics will not be accommodated for testing.

On Friday, January 31, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared the novel coronavirus a public health emergency in the United States. The declaration went into effect at 2 p.m. PST on Sunday, February 2, 2020. As part of the emergency declaration, persons returning to the United States through select airports and considered to be at highest risk are being quarantined and monitored by public health officials.

Locally, it’s important to note that John Wayne Airport is not among this predetermined list of airports. All other returning travelers from China will face a health screening and face up to two weeks of monitored self-quarantine to ensure they pose no health risk.

On February 25, 2020, the Orange County Board of Supervisors declared a local emergency and County Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick declared a local health emergency as part of broader preparedness efforts related to novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.

These actions will help ensure that the County of Orange’s ability to respond to a potential outbreak, should one occur, will remain flexible and can evolve as this rapidly changing situation does.

It is important that you also understand what these actions do not mean:

• Orange County does not have a COVID-19 outbreak at this time.
•  The OC Health Care Agency is not recommending changes to routine, everyday activities.
• The OC Health Care Agency is not recommending cancelling or avoiding social outings or public events.

Governor Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) updated the State’s COVID-19 guidance for California on March 11, 2020. It indicates that certain gatherings should be postponed or cancelled through at least the end of March. You can read the Governor’s statement here and view the CDPH document here.

As of March 12, 2020, this guidance does not apply to activities such as attendance at regular school classes, work, or essential services. CDPH will revisit this guidance on a regular basis to evaluate the continued public health need and to evaluate if any elements need to be changed. To stay informed, continue to monitor this CDPH guidance page.

This information, which can be found on the CDC’s website, will be updated regularly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html.

Local case count information for Orange County will also be updated on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at www.ochealthinfo.com/novelcoronavirus.

OCHCA will share when cases are identified they are placed under isolation and our Public Health Services staff monitor them for the duration of their isolation period. We do not release any details about the cases, including city of residence, because we must protect the privacy of these patients, and sharing any information that could be used to identify them could do harm. Knowing the city where a case resides does not offer any protection from a public health standpoint when it comes to COVID-19.

Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that people who have casual contact with a case (in the same grocery store or movie theater) are at minimal risk of developing infection. Public Health conducts robust contact investigations – if there is a chance that you were exposed to a case while infectious and you are at risk for contracting illness as a result, you will hear from health officials.