County Communications

Live Updates: Press Briefings on Wednesdays at 2:30pm: COVID-19 Press Conference on YouTube, Facebook live and Twitter

• Days are subject to change

Text Message Updates: To receive daily updates via text, send COSD COVID19 to 468-311.

County News Center

• Watch previously recorded Press Briefings
• Summaries of Press Briefings
• Important announcements and changes to Public Health Orders
• Sign-up to receive the County News Center directly to your inbox

Public Health Orders 

Coronavirus Data in County of San Diego 

California Department of Public Health 

• State of California Safe Schools for All Hub
• COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Instruction Framework & Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year
• CDPH Travel Advisory Updated April 2, 2021
• CDPH Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings Updated November 16, 2020

San Diego County Office of Education

• SDCOE COVID-19 Resources
  

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

• CDC Schools and Child Care Programs

San Diego County is now in the Orange Tier. Schools may reopen at all grades if they are located in counties in the Red, Orange or Yellow Tiers under the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Operations, once reopened must adhere to the updated Sector Guidance for School and School-Based Program. Schools that reopen must complete and post a COVID-19 Safety Plan For In Person Instruction (CSP) to their website homepage 5 days prior to reopening for in-person instruction. The CSP is made up of the Cal/OSHA Prevention Program and the COVID-19 School Guidance Checklist.

• San Diego County Public Health Order (PDF)
• COVID-19 Symptom Decision Tree (English & Spanish)
• COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Instruction Framework & Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year (3/20/21)
• State of California Safe Schools for All Hub
• COVID-19 Planning Tips for Graduation Ceremonies
• Protocol for School Graduation Ceremonies

• COVID School Resource Flyer (English/Spanish)
  
• Antigen Testing Program for Schools
• Navigating Back to School Infographic English & Spanish
• Checking Temperatures for Parents English |  Spanish
• COVID-19 Symptom Screening for Parents  English |  Spanish
• COVID-19 Isolation Calendar Examples English |   Spanish
• COVID-19 Quarantine Calendar Examples  English |  Spanish
• Reporting and Responding to Confirmed COVID-19 Case(s) at K-12 Schools
• COVID-19 Communication for Schools with San Diego County Epidemiology Branch

• Posters and Materials:
  • On the Educational Materials page you will find COVID-19 fact sheets, posters, postcards, videos, and other materials in multiple languages       
  • Other material suggestions include:     
    • COVID-19 Poster:
      • English |  Spanish
      • Other languages
    • Face Coverings:
      • Face Covering Poster Infographic
      • Face Shield Best Practices
    • Social Distancing Poster:  English |  Spanish
    • CDPH COVD-19 Poster
    • CDC Stop the Spread of Germs
    • CDC Face Covering Information:  English |  Spanish
    • CDC Kids Handwashing Poster:  English |  Spanish
    • CDC Keep Calm and Wash Your Hands Poster:  English |  Spanish
    • Vaccination Eligibility for 16 and Older English | Vaccination Eligibility for 16 and Older Spanish

County of San Diego

• General COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions
• School-specific Frequently Asked Questions

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Frequently Asked Questions and Answers: Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) and Children
• FAQs for K-12 Schools and Childcare Program Administrators Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19)

The Tools for Schools searchable resource database from Live Well Schools highlights innovative and effective ways for school policymakers and other stakeholders to meet the unique health and wellness needs of students, families, and staff. Tools for Schools provides a wide array of resources based on a broader definition of wellness that includes social and emotional health and a focus on addressing health disparities (see attached flyer). Live Well Schools staff is available to provide a 5-minute overview of this new resource. Please contact Deirdre Kleske at deirdre.kleske@sdcounty.ca.gov.  

The following flyers contain links to reputable resources relevant to families with school-aged children. The flyer with hyper-links can be shared electronically by email to distribution lists, or it can be posted on your website. The 'printable' flyer has website URLs written out. It is intended for printing and can be handed out to families or placed in bags that are being distributed at meal service sites. Please share them both widely with your networks

• E-flyer for Websites and Email
• Printable Flyer

• Call 2-1-1 San Diego for assistance finding food distribution in your community or to sign up for CalFresh (You can also go to GetCalFresh.org ) 
• CalFresh (English)
• CalFresh (Spanish)
• Food Service Sites Open During School Closures (SDCOE)
• ¡Más Fresco! More Fresh Program: Calfresh recipients who enroll in the ¡Más Fresco! More Fresh Program will earn $1 in financial incentives for every $1 of Calfresh EBT dollars spent on fruits and vegetables at participating Northgate González Markets, up to $40 per month.
• Food Resources in San Diego County (SDCOE)
• San Diego Food Bank
• San Diego Hunger Coalition
• Catholic Charities Emergency Food Distribution Network
• San Diego Food System Alliance

Nutrition Education:

• Eating Healthy at Home: Each recipe is designed to be affordable and made with as few widely-available ingredients as possible.
• Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s COVID19 Resource Hub: Free, evidence-based resources to support the physical, social, and emotional health of children and their caregivers.
• Lean & Green Kids
• ChooseMyPlate
• Dairy Council of California: Nutrition Education K-12
• CATCH Health & Nutrition Education for Parents & Educators ( English & Spanish)

Thank you for helping to keep kids safe! Kids need school staff to continue reporting suspected abuse during the COVID-19 crisis

• Child Protective Services Abuse Hotline available 24/7: 1-800-344-6000
• Reporting Abuse During COVID-19
• Child Welfare Services
• Domestic Violence Prevention Amid COVID-19- View the new website and read the recent announcement from the San Diego District Attorney’s Office. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 / TTY 1−800−787−3224

• San Diego Access & Crisis Line:
  • (888) 724-7240 (available in 150 languages) Open 24/7
  • Online Chat: Monday – Friday, 10:00am – 4:00pm
• County of San Diego Behavioral Health Services
• Resources for Families, Parents and Caregivers (English/Spanish)
• Mental Health Resources for Students, Families and Staff by SDCOE
• Teen Guide to Mental Health and Wellness by SDCOE
• Tips to maintain mental health and wellness during the COVID-19 Outbreak
• California Surgeon General’s Stress Relief for Caregivers and COVD-19
• COVID-10 Mental Health Resources (Mental Health America)
• Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event
• NAMI San Diego
• San Diego County Suicide Prevention Council COVID-19 Resources
• Free Mindfulness Resources: daily streams and recordings of mindfulness and compassion sessions to provide resources and online support to those affected
• Greater Good’s Guide to Well-being During Coronavirus: including resources for parents & educators (published by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley)

• San Diego for Every Child is offering $575 for childcare costs for essential workers and $100 for basic needs. Essential workers would include school food service staff. To request assistance, fill out a short grant request form here.

• Resources for the Undocumented Community during COVID-19 (United We Dream)
• USCIS Response to COVID-19
• San Diego Rapid Response Network
  Emergency Hotline: 619-563-0823
• San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium
• SDIRC Immigrant Relief Fund: Provides grants of up to $500 to immigrants in San Diego County who have lost all or part of their income due to the coronavirus pandemic, along with other emergencies that may arise in the future.
• Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new COVID-19 Immigrant Guide as part of several new initiatives that aim to support the millions of California workers -- including undocumented immigrants -- who have lost jobs or wages as a result of this pandemic. Created in partnership with Listos California, this guide provides tips about services, including public benefits, that are available to immigrant Californians, including some that are available regardless of immigration status.
• The Parent institute for Quality Education (PIQE) provides empowering information, skills development and support systems for low-income families, communities of color, English Language Learner and immigrant families. Checkout their COVID-19 online resources in English and Spanish.
• COVID-19 Resources in Spanish

• Free and Low-Cost Internet Access During COVID-19 Call 2-1-1 San Diego for assistance accessing internet services during COVID-19

• Physical Education Activities/Lessons to Share with Students & Families
• Live Well @ Home: a free resource to help community residents find tips and strategies to stay healthy in both mind and body while staying at home. We've organized the below resources and activities by age group and topic to help you find the right tools to match your needs. 
• Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s COVID19 Resource Hub: Free, evidence-based resources to support the physical, social, and emotional health of children and their caregivers.
• Move to Learn: Videos for PreK – 12
• Free Online Fitness and Wellness classes with YMCA 360 (includes kids activities and youth sports)

Resources for All Ages:

• SDCOE Distance Learning Resources for Educators including online resources for students and families
• Live Well @ Home: a free resource to help community residents find tips and strategies to stay healthy in both mind and body while staying at home. We've organized the below resources and activities by age group and topic to help you find the right tools to match your needs. 
• Visit the San Diego County Library eLibrary or you can download the Libby App
• Distance Learning Handout (English & Spanish) Credit: The O’Farrell Charter School
• Dairy Council of California: Nutrition Education K-12
• EVERFI,: online programs based on critical life skills like Financial Literacy, Social Emotional Health, STEM Career Exploration etc. All  courses come at no cost. Since school closures, EVERFI has created a Parent Portal that gives parents direct access to EVERFI content for their children.
• Action for Health Kids: Game On Activity Library

Resources for Younger Students

• Tips, Ideas and Activities for Children and Families during COVID-19 by Kids for Peace
• Learning at Home Bingo (SDCOE and The San Diego Union-Tribune online and in print)

Nature Focused:

• Play, Learn and Explore at the virtual Earth Day Fair
• Experience Cuyamaca Outdoor School at home: Visit the COS Facebook page or their YouTube playlist.
• National Geographic at-home education: quizzes, videos, science experiments, and even at-home classroom resources
• COVID-19 Community Nature Collection by the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation

For extra academic support, we recommend that you first contact your school or district to see what resources are available to you. Additional resources are also available:

• UCSD Tritons Tutor: Free K-12 virtual tutoring provided by UC San Diego students. Every Tuesday and Friday from 4pm – 6pm. Visit the website to sign up and email hdhwellness@ucsd.edu if you have any questions.
• Virtual Homework Help from San Diego Libraries:  Free homework help to students and their families, Monday through Saturday. Homework help for Spanish speakers available Monday through Thursday. Visit the website for more information, to sign up email DYHAL@SanDiego.gov with your student’s name, grade, and which session they would like to attend.
• Student Resources from San Diego County Library:  This page provides video tutorials on how to use our student databases, how to begin a research paper, and even how to get started on Google Docs. Also, our great librarians have organized digital bookshelves with test study guides, classroom sets, and more to engage students with the learning materials and books they need. 
  • High School homework help & test prep

County of San Diego Waiver Checklist

The County of San Diego Waiver process has ended. San Diego County is now in the Red Tier. Schools may reopen at all grades if they are located in counties in the Red, Orange or Yellow Tiers under the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Operations, once reopened must adhere to the updated Sector Guidance for School and School-Based Program. Schools that reopen must complete and post a COVID-19 Safety Plan For In Person Instruction (CSP) to their website homepage 5 days prior to reopening for in-person instruction. The CSP is made up of the Cal/OSHA Prevention Program and the COVID-19 School Guidance Checklist. 

County of San Diego Elementary School 2021 Waivers

County of San Diego Elementary School 2020 Waivers

Submit a Safety Review Request To California Department of Public Health

Process suspended on March 17^th, 2021 due to San Diego County entering the Red Tier.

This process allows local education agencies (LEAs) to seek an exemption to operate outside of the state’s guidance, ‘COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Instruction Framework & Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year' released January 14^th, in two circumstances:

• Unable to meet Physical Distancing requirements: Letter of Intent must be received no later than February 17^th, 2021
• Operating under July 17^th  definition of open

See a timeline of this process.

Visit  https://caschoolsopening.powerappsportals.us/en-US/letter-of-intent/ to learn more. 

County of San Diego School Safety Review Request

• COVID-19 Graduation Guidance Checklist
• The Graduation Guidance Checklist pulls requirements from multiple sets of guidance. The relevant guidance is listed below in order of importance:
  • Primary:
    • Guidance for the Prevention of COVID-19 Transmission for Commencement/ Graduation Ceremonies
  • Secondary:
    • CDPH Outdoor Seated Live Events and Performances Guidance
    • Blueprint for a Safer Economy Activity and Business Tiers
      • Includes an addendum on tested and fully vaccinated individuals and sections that can be added to the above
    • COVID-19 Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People
      • Includes guidance that has been incorporated into the above documents
      • These recommendations do not apply to employees
• Other helpful resources:
  • COVID-19 Planning Tips for Graduation Ceremonies
  • Protocol for Drive-in or Drive-thru School Graduation Ceremonies