Thread by @GovMikeDeWine

New information on the forthcoming K-12 school reporting order being issued today:

➡Beginning September 8, parents or guardians and school staff should notify their school within 24 hours of receiving a positive test or a clinical diagnosis.

Then within 24 hours after receiving the notification, the school should notify parents or guardians about that case in writing, providing as much information as possible without releasing protected health information.

There will be templates available at coronavirus.ohio.gov. The school must also notify their local health department within 24 hours.

➡Beginning September 15, local health departments will report the number of newly reported and cumulative cases to the @OHdeptofhealth every Tuesday. There will be a template for this on the website as well.

The @OHdeptofhealth will publish this data by school or school district, including a breakdown by students and staff, every Thursday.

➡In addition, a school district or school will identify a #COVID19 coordinator to facilitate the reporting of case information and upon request, schools or buildings are required to provide the local health department a copy of their pandemic plan.

We understand there is a balance between privacy and transparency. Again, we do not intend for protected health information to be released in our effort to provide information to Ohioans so they can make the right decisions for their family.

As I have said before, just because a school may have positive cases among its students or staff, that does not mean the school did anything wrong. Schools can’t control what happens out in the community where someone may have contracted the virus.