Health and Safety

Any interaction with the general public carries an inherent risk of contracting COVID-19. It is important to acknowledge that infection control measures are designed to minimize the probability of exposure but cannot completely eliminate all risks.

The E. John Gavras Center is constantly examining procedures to ensuring the health and safety of all students and staff enrolled in our education programs. The E. John Gavras Center will implement the most current best practice procedures in order to develop a safe and healthy learning environment for all staff and students.

In accordance with guidance from the New York State DOH, NYSED and CDC, E. John Gavras Center will implement the following safety practices. The highest standard in health and safety management will implemented and considered an integral part of how the school operate. These practices will be implemented within all aspects of the programming at E. John Gavras Center.

Schools are not responsible for conducting investigations or testing of staff or students. This responsibility lies with local health officials and healthcare providers. It is important to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of those seeking health care and those who may be part of any contact investigation by the county health department.

Communication Plans

Parents/guardians play a vital role in the health and safety of students. Pre-screening students at home, before their arrival to school can decrease the spread of COVID-19. Printed information will be provided to families with instructions detailing the steps to be taken to screen student health each morning before school. This guidance will be developed in accordance with the most current and most stringent CDC, NYS DOH and NYSED guidelines.

Families will be instructed to:

Check the temperature of the child/student before placing him/her on the bus for transport or bringing the child to school;
Look for and monitor the child/student for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 as described in further detail in the sections below.

Periodically, families will also be required to answer the following questions regarding the child/student:

Has the student knowingly been in close or proximate contact in the past 14 days with anyone who has tested positive through a diagnostic test for COVID-19 or who has had symptoms of COVID-19?
Has the student been tested for COVID-19, and/or has tested positive through a diagnostic test for COVID-19 in the past 14 days?
Has the student experienced any symptoms of COVID-19, including a temperature of greater than 100.4°F in the past 14 days?
Has the student travelled internationally or from a state with widespread community transmission of COVID-19 per the New York State Travel Advisory?

This information will be collected using a variety of methods and will be adjusted accordingly based on family feedback and/or efficacy.

Collection methods may include:

Paper checklists sent home with students in a communication folder in their backpacks that are to be returned to the school
An agency created form that can be submitted via any device with an internet connection
Other software solutions that may ease accessibility for parents/guardians and/or staff

Reminders to complete the screening documentation will be sent in a multitude of ways. Teachers may opt to send reminders through Google Classroom, printed daily notes, emails, text messages, or phone calls. Call-multiplier can also be utilized to send reminders to parents/guardians.

As responses are received, the information will be submitted to the designated team for further evaluation. In the event it is deemed unsafe for the student to stay in school based on the responses provided to the survey questions, parents/guardians will be promptly notified, and additional protocols as detailed in the following sections will be followed.

It is possible that not all parents/guardians will have the capability to return such information in a timely manner despite best efforts and reminders put in place. All parents/guardians and students will be treated respectfully and equally in such situations.

Instructing staff on signs and symptoms of COVID-19

All education staff will receive training in accordance with the NYS Department of Health, OCFS, NYSED and CDC guidelines. The following trainings will be offered utilizing a combination of in-person and remote/virtual platforms;

Signs and symptoms of COVID-19 (fever >100.4°F, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, flushed cheeks, rapid, or difficulty breathing, frequent use of the bathroom).
Hand hygiene (washing hands frequently throughout the day with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds and using paper towels to thoroughly dry hands). For staff, when hands cannot be washed, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, with at least 60% alcohol, should be used.
Appropriate time to call the RN.
Appropriateness of quarantining a child until they can be picked up.
How to complete necessary paperwork for reporting sick staff and children to the building administrator and nursing staff for tracing and tracking purposes.
Agency policy for staff illness and COVID-19 return to work policies.
All precautionary measures.

Daily Health Screenings for Staff/ Visitors/ Vendors

The E. John Gavras Center has implemented daily temperature checks and COVID-19 screenings for ALL staff prior to the start of the work day. The screenings will be completed by the nurse or designated staff person according to CDC guidelines. Any staff who are ill, running a temperature >100.4°F or fail the COVID-19 screening questions will be assessed by the school RN. The staff will be sent home immediately until they meet all required criteria to return. All staff will be required to follow up with their health care provider prior to their return.

Staff can return to work if they have been diagnosed with a condition other than COVID-19 under the following conditions:

They have a written note from a healthcare provider stating they are clear to return to work.
They have been fever-free, without the use of fever reducing medication.
They have felt well for 24 hours.

All three conditions must be met for a staff to be permitted to return.

If a staff member is tested for COVID-19, as a result of displaying symptoms, and the test result comes back negative, the person will need to submit proof of the negative test result before being allow to return to work/school. If placed in isolation/quarantine by the Department of Health, the individual will need a note from the Department of Health, or their personal physician, releasing them back to work regardless of a negative test result.

Screening Process

The building will have a designated single point of entry for all staff. There will be another entry for visitors and vendors.
Screenings and temperature checks will occur daily at the point of entry and information will be recorded on the corresponding Agency form. Non-contact thermometers will be used to reduce the opportunity for spread of the virus.
Screening forms for visitors and vendors will ascertain name, address and phone number in the event the visitor needs to be contacted for tracing purposes.
Screening questions follow NYS DOH, OCFS, and SED required screening questions, including whether the individual has
- knowingly been in close or proximate contact in the past 14 days with anyone who has tested positive through a diagnostic test for COVID-19 or who has or had symptoms of COVID-19.
- tested positive through a diagnostic test for COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
- has experienced any symptoms of COVID-19, including a temperature of greater than 100.4°F in the past 14 days: and/or
- has traveled internationally or from a state with widespread community transmission of COVID-19 per the New York State Travel Advisory in the past 14 days.
The completed forms will be scanned and stored electronically on a designated internal Agency drive. The program will maintain a hard copy of the completed forms on-site, in a designated binder, for 3 months. The RN, or designated staff member, will review the forms prior to disposal to make sure forms have been uploaded.
Staff conducting the screenings will utilize proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including masks, gloves and face shields, and follow procedures including cleaning the thermometer with alcohol pads after each screening.
If a visitor or vendor has a temperature, symptoms, and/or fails the COVID-19 screening, they will not be permitted to pass beyond the screening checkpoint. Visitors will be limited to only those absolutely necessary for the safety and well-being of our students.

Daily Health Screenings for students

Any child attending one of our education programs will be screened prior to entering the building for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. The screening will be completed according to DOH, OCFS, and NYSED guidelines. Social distancing will be maintained while screenings are completed. Children will be supervised by their parent or direct care staff while waiting for their screening to occur. Non-contact thermometers will be used to reduce the opportunity for spread of the virus. Any child who has a fever, a temperature of >100.4°F and/or shows symptoms related to COVID-19 will be sent home. If the RN is present, sick students will be assessed by RN.
Every building will have a designated single point of entry for students being dropped off by bus and another point of entry for students being dropped off by parents. Temperature checks will occur daily at the point of entry as students are taken off the bus, or as parents arrive to drop the students off for school. All information will be recorded on the corresponding Agency form. Non-contact thermometers will be used, and cleaned by an alcohol wipe between student checks, to reduce the opportunity for spread of the virus.
The completed forms will be scanned and stored electronically on a designated internal Agency drive. The program will maintain a hard copy of the completed forms on-site, in a designated binder, for three months. The RN, or designated staff, will review the forms prior to disposal to make sure forms have been uploaded.
Staff conducting the screenings will utilize proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including masks, gloves and face shields, and follow procedures including cleaning the thermometer with alcohol pads after each screening.
If a student has a temperature or symptoms:
- And was transported to school by their parent/guardian, they will be denied entry beyond the screening area.
- And was transported to school on a bus, they will be masked and moved to a supervised quarantine location, ensuring that they are kept separate from others who are not displaying symptoms, until a parent/guardian can pick the student up.
In the event of a student not passing the temperature check, the parents will be instructed on all criteria that MUST be met prior to their child returning to program. Minimal criteria for returning would be:
- The student has a written note from a health care provider stating they are clear to return, AND
- The student has been fever-free, without the use of fever-reducing medication, for 72 hours, AND
- The student has felt well for 24 hours.

If COVID testing is completed, the Department of Health would need to provide in writing a release for the child to return back to school.

Staff Assessing Ill Students/Staff

When a nurse, or designated staff, is completing an assessment on an ill child or staff, or supervising students under quarantine until parents arrive, that nurse, or designated staff, will wear all appropriate PPE. This should include:

A face mask (either surgical or N95)
Gown
Gloves
Face shield/eye protection
Disposable health office supplies (as possible)

A separate room will be utilized for quarantine of sick children, separate from the nurse's office where all children are seen. The quarantine room will be cleaned according to CDC guidelines between children.

Providing Respiratory Treatments

All necessary PPE, including masks, face shields and gloves will be utilized when providing nebulizer treatments. In situations where the nurse must have up-close contact, a gown will be worn. The nurse will assure no other students are present when a nebulizer treatment is occurring. The nurse's office and equipment will be cleaned prior to another student entering the room.

Parents/ Guardians

Parents will be notified of their responsibility with regards to promoting health and safety within the school building and helping to limit the spread of COVID-19. Information sent home and made available for parents will be translated, if needed, to ensure comprehension. Parents will be asked to sign and return an agreement, which will be kept on file, to comply with the following expectations:

Take their child’s temperature each day before sending them to school
Keep their child home if they have a temperature greater > 100.4°F
Keep their child home if they have any symptoms of COVID-19
Keep their child home if anyone in the home has tested positive for COVID-19, has symptoms of COVID-19, and/or has come in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19
Pick their child up in a timely manner from school if the child develops a temperature, or symptoms of COVID-19 while at school
Limit items sent to school with their child to essential items only
Place any items sent to school in a plastic re-sealable bag
Only send their child to school on their designated days, if a hybrid model is implemented
Have their child’s temperature taken again when the child arrives at school.

Proper signage to instruct staff and students

The E. John Gavras Center’s education program will hang signage, in prominent and highly visual areas including, but not limited to, school entrance doors, food prep area, bathrooms, administrative offices and janitorial staff areas. These signs will include information on:

When to stay home if sick
Effective hand washing
Proper respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
Required social distancing protocols
Proper mask usage
CDC signs and symptoms related to COVID-19 illness
Reporting expectations for any signs and symptoms of COVID-19
Proper cleaning and disinfecting guidelines

Social distancing

Keeping space between yourself and others is one of the best practices to avoid being exposed to COVID-19 virus, and to slow its spread. Since people can spread the virus before they know they are sick, it is important to utilize social distancing from others whenever possible, even if neither party show any symptoms. Social distancing will be required by the E. John Gavras Center, especially to help protect people who are at higher risk of getting sick. Every person in the school building will be expected to follow social distancing practices of 6 feet or more. Staff and students will be encouraged to:

Stay at least 6 feet apart from others whenever possible
Not gather in groups
Stay out of crowded places and avoid large gatherings
Engage in non-contact methods of greetings that avoid handshakes
Stagger breaks and meal times during the day
Use designated areas and maintain at least 6 feet of separation for meal times
Keep the same cohort of students assigned to the same classroom each day
Stagger the use of restrooms
Have students eat in their classroom while maintaining social distancing.
Stagger playground use so that only one classroom is present at a time. Children and staff will wash their hands before and after using the playground and will maintain 6 feet social distancing whenever possible.

Within the classrooms, furniture will be minimized to allow plenty of room for distancing. Teachers will attempt to maintain one-way traffic flow in their rooms to adhere to social distancing guidelines

It should be noted that while all attempts to maintain social distancing with the students will be made, given that the main provision of the school is special education services to students with very complex behavioral needs, maintaining proper social distancing may prove to be challenging. As such, staff will be masked at all times when in a space occupied by students and/or when in common areas of the building. Due to the student's special needs, if a student is medically frail, and unable to maintain 6 feet social distancing, the parent should work with their child's medical provider to determine if in-person instruction is appropriate.

Accommodations for High Risk Students

The E. John Gavras Center provides education and therapeutic services to students with varied diagnoses and disabilities that often require special needs care. Due to this factor, the agency will treat all of the students within the program as special needs students when it comes to COVID-19. It should be noted that if a student is medically frail and unable to maintain 6 feet social distancing, the parent should work with their child's medical provider to make a decision whether in-person instruction is appropriate, or whether it is more appropriate for the student to participate in a virtual/remote learning option. The school staff will follow all CDC and Department of Health guidelines on caring for a special needs, or immunocompromised, student.

Personal protective Equipment (PPE)

The E. John Gavras Center will supply PPE to all employees and students who do not, or cannot, supply their own. PPE including, but not limited to, disposable masks, gloves, face shields, gowns, hand sanitizer, hand soap and cleaning supplies will be maintained by the nursing staff. The nurse will maintain contact with administration and the Agency Purchasing Department to ensure adequate supplies are on-site, when needed. A checklist will be utilized for all PPE including masks, gloves, tissues, hand hygiene supplies and cleaning supplies, to ensure an adequate quantity is on hand. The E. John Gavras Center will provide PPE as needed to all employees, including custodial staff for cleaning.

Required usage of masks by Staff

All E. John Gavras Center staff, and visitors who enter the school, will be required to wear a face mask at all times while in the classroom, therapy room, and any time the staff is in a space occupied by a student, or other person. Cloth face masks will be required, but in the event staff arrive without, then a surgical mask will be provided. In the event that surgical masks become difficult to obtain, staff will be notified. Staff must wear the mask appropriately, covering the entire mouth and nose. Masks must be changed throughout the day if the mask tears, or becomes soiled. Staff will be trained on the proper ways to don and doff masks to prevent contamination. Failure to follow the agency mask policy can lead to disciplinary action.

Usage of masks by Students

The E. John Gavras Center will have masks/face coverings available for all students. Parents will be encouraged to provide a cloth mask for their student. However, due to some children’s developmental disability, and/or young age, many students may not tolerate face coverings. As such, students will not be required (but will be encouraged) to wear masks/face coverings. Prior to wearing a mask independently, a student must demonstrate the ability to independently remove the mask and must be able to communicate difficulty breathing or distress. For the students demonstrating these skills, the therapeutic and educational staff will work on building tolerance to wearing a mask throughout the school day. Precautions including but not limited to, social distancing and limiting sharing of materials will be utilized with students who will not or cannot wear masks.

Students can wear disposable surgical masks or reusable fabric masks.
Masks will be provided for those students who wish to wear/will tolerate a mask as well as for students whose classroom staff are beginning to address mask-wearing as a goal.
Students who will not wear masks/cannot tolerate wearing a mask for an extended period of time, will work with their classroom staff to address mask-wearing as a goal while at school.
Students who will wear a mask will be provided regular mask breaks at individualized intervals decided upon by the classroom staff. During a “mask break,” staff facilitating MUST be wearing a mask, initiate the break in a socially distant and safe environment, assist the student in removing his/her mask in a safe manner, and assist in replacing it once finished.
Students who exhibits spitting on others, staff or student, will be required to wear a mask while in school or the child will have to be picked up by the parent. If there is continued spitting behaviors, then parents, home school district, Cayuga County Health Department, and the education and therapeutic staff will hold a meeting to change the program to a virtual provision.
If a student has a medical condition, or diagnosis, which has been documented with the nurse, that prohibits them from wearing a mask, the student will not be mandated to wear one.
Masks will be replaced if they become torn or soiled.

Returning to school after a positive case of COVID-19

While schools play a role in identifying students, faculty, and staff who have COVID-19 symptoms or who have had recent known or potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2, school staff are not expected to directly administer SARS-CoV-2 tests. It is strongly recommended that schools comply with CDC guidance and not conduct universal COVID-19 testing or require testing or antibody testing of students or staff members. The decision of whether a test needs to be conducted should be determined by a healthcare provider or the local department of health.

NYSED guidance also indicates testing alone is insufficient to combat the spread of COVID-19, and so the Gavras Center is focusing on implementing multiple prevention and mitigation strategies, which include temperature and symptom screening, promoting behaviors that reduce spread, maintaining healthy environments and operations, and preparing for when someone gets sick.
According to the CDC:

Universal SARS-CoV-2 testing of all students and staff in school settings has not been systematically studied. It is not known if testing in school settings provides any additional reduction in person-to-person transmission of the virus beyond what would be expected with implementation of other infection preventive measures (e.g., social distancing, cloth face covering, hand washing, enhanced cleaning and disinfecting). Therefore, CDC does not recommend universal testing of all students and staff. Implementation of a universal approach to testing in schools may pose challenges, such as the lack of infrastructure to support routine testing and follow up in the school setting, unknown acceptability of this testing approach among students, parents, and staff, lack of dedicated resources, practical considerations related to testing minors and potential disruption in the educational environment. Source: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-testing.html

Additionally, pursuant to New York State Public Health Law, the E. John Gavras Center is legally prohibited from administering a COVID-19 test to a child in the absence of parent consent. See: N.Y. Pub. Health Law Section 2504

Districts do have a responsibility to identify who in the community is responsible for referring, sourcing, and administering testing (e.g., local health department testing sites, physician offices, hospital systems) and to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of those seeking care or undergoing testing.

Staff and students testing positive for COVID-19 will be directed to work with the respective county’s Department of Health. The Department of Health will determine the length of time that person must be under isolation/quarantine. The E. John Gavras Center will prohibit the person from returning to program/work until after the 10-day isolation and not exhibiting any symptoms. The parents of students or staff will be required to submit documentation from the Department of Health releasing them from isolation/quarantine before they can return to the program/work.

All staff and students must:

Provide documentation of release of isolation/quarantine from DOH
Have been 10 days since first having symptoms
Be three days since symptoms have improved including cough and/or shortness of breath
Be fever-free for at least 72 hours without the use of medication.

If a staff or student is placed under quarantine due to contact with other COVID-19 positive individuals, the same protocol will be followed.

Returning to school after Non-COVID-19 Illness or After Receipt of A Negative COVID-19 Test Result

Staff and students that are not diagnosed with COVID-19 can return to school:

If they have been diagnosed with another condition and have a healthcare provider written note stating they are clear to return to school, and,
Once there is no fever, without the use of fever reducing medication, and they have felt well for 24 hours.

If a staff member or student is tested for COVID-19, as a result of displaying symptoms, and the test result comes back negative, the person will need to submit proof of the negative test result before being allow to return to work/school. If placed in isolation/quarantine by the Department of Health, the individual will need a note from the Department of Health releasing them back to work regardless of a negative test result.

Cleaning and Disinfection

All staff will be trained on proper cleaning and disinfecting procedures related to COVID-19. A cleaning checklist will be utilized to ensure continuity and compliance in accordance with NYS DOH, OCFS, and NYSED guidelines. Several times throughout the day, staff will provide additional cleaning of high touch points such as:

Door handles
Electronic devices
Tables
Surfaces in classrooms
Adaptive equipment will be cleaned if used by multiple children
Bathrooms (as needed)

Staff will clean an area they use after each use. Classroom staff are expected to clean and disinfect all areas/materials inside their classroom; the teacher is responsible to ensure that all items are recorded on the in-room cleaning log. Therapists are responsible to clean and disinfect all areas/materials inside the therapy room; the therapist is responsible to ensure that all cleaning is recorded on the in-room cleaning log. To reduce the amount of items requiring cleaning and sanitizing, furniture will be minimized and individualized containers will be used to prevent sharing of items as much as possible in each classroom. Each staff person will be expected to clean all areas in their personal work space as needed.

Safety Drills:

NYS Education Department mandates that emergency drills be conducted 12 times per year. Emergency drills must include, at least, 8 evacuation drills and 4 lock down drills. These drills will continue during all scheduled in-person instruction times. Special care will be taken to ensure that children that attend any in-person sessions experience drills and practice for emergency situations. This will be critical as there is a possibility that not all students will be in attendance each day in the event that a hybrid model of instruction is used. Staff should ensure that safety precautions are taken throughout drills to allow for practice and experience without causing unsafe situations.

Classrooms will line up and exit their rooms following the markers on the floor indicating appropriate distancing between students.
A log sheet will be created to record emergency drills. It will be the responsibility of program administration to ensure that drills occur at various times so as to include all students.
Lock down drills may also be modified to maintain safety of all staff and students. If space permits, students can be moved to a safe place in the classroom where social distancing can occur. When space does not permit social distancing, a lockdown drill may eliminate “hiding/sheltering” and instead be practice for the students to engage in a quiet activity and a review of the lock down procedures with all staff.
In the case of a real emergency, getting children to safety immediately will take precedent over all other guidelines.

Before and After Programs

The E. John Gavras Center provides before and after school daycare in accordance with Office of Children and Family Services policies and guidelines. During all before and after school daycare, all regulatory standards for Office of Children and Family Services and the NYS DOH will be maintained.

Designated COVID-19 Safety Personnel

The E. John Gavras Center will utilize the Safety Committee and nurse to oversee the agency’s response to COVID concerns. This group will collaborate very closely with the Cayuga County Department of Health and the agency’s Medical Director. Any questions or concerns that staff or families may have will be directed to any member of this committee.