Encourage staff to take everyday preventive actions to prevent the spread of respiratory illness.
Wash hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
Remember to supervise young children when they use hand sanitizer to prevent swallowing alcohol.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
Cover cough and sneezes.
Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when you have to go out in public.
Masks should NOT be put on babies and children under age two because of the danger of suffocation.
Require sick children and staff to stay home.
Communicate to parents the importance of keeping children home when they are sick.
Communicate to staff the importance of being vigilant for symptoms and staying in touch with facility management if or when they start to feel sick.
Establish procedures to ensure children and staff who come to the child care center sick or become sick while at your facility are sent home as soon as possible.
Keep sick children and staff separate from well children and staff until they can be sent home.
Sick staff members should not return to work until they have met the criteria to discontinue home isolation.
Have a plan if someone is or becomes sick.
Plan to have an isolation room or area (such as a cot in a corner of the classroom) that can be used to isolate a sick child. Additional information about isolation in related settings can be found here: isolation at home and isolation in healthcare settings.
Be ready to follow CDC guidance on how to disinfect your building or facility if someone is sick.
If a sick child has been isolated in your facility, clean and disinfect surfaces in your isolation room or area after the sick child has gone home.
If COVID-19 is confirmed in a child or staff member:
Close off areas used by the person who is sick.
Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the areas.
Wait up to 24 hours or as long as possible before you clean or disinfect to allow respiratory droplets to settle before cleaning and disinfecting.
Clean and disinfect all areas used by the person who is sick, such as offices, bathrooms, and common areas.
If more than 7 days have passed since the person who is sick visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary.
Continue routine cleaning and disinfection.