Back-to-School Strategies to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19

We all recognize that students benefit from in-person learning.  To support students' health and safety as they return to the classroom, the CDC developed a K-12 Resource Page that offers strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The CDC's recommendations include:

• Vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Screening testing, ventilation, handwashing and respiratory etiquette, staying home when sick and getting tested, contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation, and cleaning and disinfection are also important layers of prevention.
• Students, teachers, and staff should stay home when they have signs of any infectious illness and be referred to their healthcare provider for testing and care.
• Many schools serve children under the age of 12. CDC recommends implementing layered prevention strategies (e.g., using multiple prevention strategies together consistently) to protect students, teachers, staff, visitors, and other members of their households and support in-person learning.
• Localities should monitor community transmission, vaccination coverage, screening testing, and occurrence of outbreaks to guide decisions on the level of layered prevention strategies (e.g., physical distancing, screening testing).

New Rules Protect Parents' Right in Education

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the Florida Department of Health and State Board of Education issued Emergency Rules to protect parents’ freedom to choose what is best for their children.  These rules are pursuant to Executive Order 21-175 and encourage a practical and effective in-person learning environment for Florida’s schoolchildren during the upcoming school year, while preventing the unnecessary removal of healthy students from school and safeguarding the rights of parents and their children. 

The Florida Department of Health published an emergency rule to govern the control of COVID-19 in schools through protocols that do not violate Floridians’ constitutional freedoms; do not violate parents’ rights under Florida law to make health care decisions for their minor children; and protect children with disabilities or health conditions who would be harmed by certain protocols, such as face masking requirements. The rule directs that any COVID-19 mitigation actions taken by school districts comply with the Parents’ Bill of Rights, and ensures that parents’ right to make decisions regarding the masking of their children is protected. The rule was issued in recognition that because of the importance of in-person learning to educational, social, emotional and mental wellbeing, removing healthy students from the classroom should be limited at all costs. 

The State Board of Education passed two emergency rules that clarify the eligibility of the Hope Scholarship and provide school districts with flexibilities to ensure the educational continuity of students. The clarification of the Hope Scholarship Program ensures parents know they can transfer their public school student to a private school or to another district in the state if the student has been subjected to harassment due to personal health care choices a family has a right to make for their minor child.

“When the wellbeing of our students and our constitutional freedoms are at stake, we will stand up for Florida families,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Giving parents options to make these decisions is not controversial. I’m proud that today we took action to make sure school administrators respect parents’ rights to make educational and healthcare decisions for their families. I will continue to fight to protect Florida’s families from government overreach and to preserve their God-given rights.”

Emergency Rule 6AER21-01 provides school districts with additional flexibilities to ensure the educational continuity of students by incentivizing districts to ensure a student remains engaged in educational activities while under quarantine for attendance purposes.

Emergency Rule 6AER21-02 ensures parents know they can transfer their public school student to a private school or to another district in the state if the student has been subjected to harassment due to personal health care choices a family has a right to make for their minor child.

Emergency Rule 64DER21-12 prevents the unnecessary exclusion of students from in-person schooling; safeguards the rights of parents and their children; provides health protocols for symptomatic or COVID-19 positive students; protocols for students who have had direct contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19; and updates protocols for students who have had prior COVID-19 infections. The rule also requires informed written consent from parents to allow testing of minors in schools.

Feeling Unwell? Get Tested.

Earlier last month, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) released a new webpage to help residents easily find testing locations in their area.  For more information, visit: https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/testing-sites/.

Tested Positive? Manage Your Symptoms at Home 

1. Stay home except to get medical care.
2. Monitor your symptoms carefully. If your symptoms get worse, call your healthcare provider immediately.
3. Get rest and stay hydrated.
4. If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider ahead of time and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19.
5. For medical emergencies, call 911 and notify the dispatch personnel that you have or may have COVID-19.
6. Cover your cough and sneezes with a tissue or use the inside of your elbow. 
7. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
8. As much as possible, stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. use a separate bathroom, if available. If you need to be around others in or outside of the home, wear a mask. 
9. Avoid sharing personal items with other people in your household, like dishes, towels and bedding.
10. Clean all surfaces that are touched often, like counter, tabletops and doorknobs. 

Learn more details on treatment guidance for COVID-19 here.

When to Seek Emergency Attention

Look for emergency warning signs* for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone

Call 911 or call ahead to your local emergency facility. Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.

*This list is not all possible symptoms. Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.

COVID-19 & How it Differs from the Flu

Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a new coronavirus (called SARS-CoV-2), and flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses.

COVID-19 seems to spread more easily than flu and causes more serious illnesses in some people. It can also take longer before people show symptoms, and infected individuals can be contagious for longer. 

Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone, and testing may be necessary to confirm a diagnosis.

While more is learned every day about COVID-19 and the virus that causes it, there is still a lot that is unknown.  Learn more here.

The Symptoms & Spread of COVID-19

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.  Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Please note that this list does not include all possible symptoms. View the CDC COVID-19 fact sheet for more information.

Stay Informed About the COVID-19 Vaccine & How to Stay Safe

The Collier County Health Department has prepared a presentation to help residents learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine. View the presentation here.

Southwest Florida Back-to-School Immunization Locations

There are a variety of locations where residents can receive the COVID-19 vaccine or other immunizations before returning to the classroom. Please see below for a location closest to your home.

The Florida Department of Health (DOH)
 has also developed a COVID-19 Vaccine Locator tool for residents to use to find a clinic near them.

Collier County

Free immunizations and flu shots for children through 18 years of age are available at the following DOH-Collier locations:

• Naples: Building H, 3339 East Tamiami Trail, Naples, 34112 By appointment only; masks required for adults and children over age 2. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Immokalee: 419 North First Street, Immokalee, 34142 By appointment only; masks required for adults and children over age 2. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Appointments are required. Anyone with questions can call (239) 252-8595 (Naples) or (239) 252-7300 (Immokalee).

Parents are asked to bring their child’s vaccine record when they come for immunizations. For more information on immunizations in Collier County, click here.

Lee County 

Appointments are available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Florida DOH, 3920 Michigan Ave., Fort Myers. Call  239-461-6100 to schedule a time.

Additional information on school-required immunizations and COVID-19 can be found online at lee.floridahealth.gov.

Hendry County

Immunizations are provided on a walk-in basis Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at:

• 1140 Pratt Blvd, LaBelle, FL 33935
• 100 South Olympia Ave, Clewiston, FL 33440 

Immunization requirements can be found on the Hendry County DOH website.

Still, Have Questions? Pick Up the Phone & Get Additional Information

The Florida DOH remains the best and most up-to-date resource for information and guidance regarding COVID-19 in our state.

Florida Department of Health (DOH)

• http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19
• https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/
• COVID-19 Confirmed Cases Dashboard: https://arcg.is/0Hfi5O 
• COVID-19 Call Center: 1-866-779-6121
• Email: COVID-19@flhealth.gov 
• Twitter: @HealthyFla

Local County Health Department Offices

Collier County 

• Immokalee Office: 239-252-7300
• Naples Main Office: 239-252-8200

Hendry County

• Clewiston: 863-983-1408
• LaBelle: 863-674-4041

Lee County 

• Main Office - Michigan Clinic: 239-332-9501
• Pondella Clinic: 239-461-6100 (for appointment)
• WIC - Bonita Springs: 239-344-2000 (for appointment)
• WIC - Lehigh Acres: 239-344-2000 (for appointment)

Emergency 

• Dial 911
• Emergency Hotline: 311 or 239-252-8444 
• City of Naples Emergency Services: 239-213-4844
• American Red Cross: 239-596-6868

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• CDC COVID-19 Homepage
• Frequently Asked Questions

White House National Updates

• coronavirus.gov

World Health Organization (WHO)

• https://www.who.int/westernpacific/emergencies/novel-coronavirus
• https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019