Order Requires COVID Case Reporting Tool for Schools

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A new order being passed today requires schools to establish a way for parents to report positive cases of COVID-19 to schools.

Gov. Mike Dewine announced the order during his Thursday coronavirus briefing. The reporting tool, he said, will ensure the public is informed about if a student or staff members has tested positive for the virus.

“We know schools have attendance lines you can call and say that your son or daughter is not going to be there,” he says. “This reporting mechanism could be that hotline.”

Within 48 hours after learning that a student or staff member has tested positive, the school must report that information to its local health department, DeWine said. The local health department will, in turn, report that information to the Ohio Department of Health weekly.

Also within that 48 hours, schools must make the information available to the public, such as with a press release or announcement on its website.

“Reporting illness to parents and guardians is nothing new for schools,” DeWine said. “We just feel that the more information that’s out there, the better.”

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.