Layer Up on COVID-19 Protection to Stay in Schools
A letter from the Oregon Department of Education.
Dear Students & Families,
Everyone in our school community has been diligently following health and safety measures to keep COVID-19 from disrupting in-person learning.
As we enter the holiday season and winter months ahead, it is important to remember our communities will be living with COVID-19 until there is widespread immunity. As COVID-19 continues to change with new variants, our knowledge of mitigation efforts grows over time.
We can all agree that we want our kids in school, learning in-person every day; and we all want to protect students, school staff and the families as they return each day.
It’s important to know that most COVID-19 transmission happens outside of school, (e.g., carpools, sports, community gatherings, parties, sleepovers, etc.) and then is brought into school. So, the more we can keep safety measures in place in school and at home, the more we can reduce spread of the virus and ensure more kids stay in school.
Success means that our students are in school consistently, which they need for their health and well-being as well as for their learning. And their families need it for economic stability and their health too.
Think of COVID-19 protection measures like layering up with extra coats, gloves and hats for winter weather. The more you layer up, the more protected you are. The best tools to protect ourselves and one another are:
- Everyone ages five and up are eligible for a vaccine.
- Face coverings are required on public transit, including school buses.
- Physical distancing of at least three feet whenever possible.
- Washing your hands often.
- Keeping good ventilation and airflow in your homes.
Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season,
The Oregon Department of Education
For more information on COVID-19 prevention, please visit https://www.cowcreek-nsn.gov/public-health/
