COVID-19 FAQ

COVID-19 Symptoms are: 

• Fever (100.4 or above) or chills 
• Cough unrelated to asthma or different than normal 
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing 
• New loss of taste or smell 
• Sore throat 
• New congestion or runny nose 
• Nausea or vomiting 
• Diarrhea 

Students with no known COVID-19 exposure and exhibiting symptoms should be tested. 

Students who have been fully vaccinated and are experiencing symptoms should be tested.  

 Students may return if: 

• They have a negative COVID-19 test, symptoms have improved, 
• There has been no fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, AND 
• After symptoms resolve. 

While awaiting test results, students will isolate at home. 

If a student is asymptomatic, and tests positive for COVID-19, the student will stay home until 5 days have passed since the positive test. 

All students required to test for COVID-19 must present a copy of their testing results upon returning to school. 

Exposure

• Exposure to COVID-19 occurs when a person is closer than 6 feet to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 for 15 minutes or longer within a 24-hour period.

Guidelines for exposures and quarantine for school exposure:

• If a student is exposed at school to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, they do not need to quarantine.
• If a student got a booster dose OR got a second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last 5 months OR got a J&J vaccine within the last 2 months, they do not need to quarantine.

Students who are exposed at school may return wearing a high-quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94) mask. They should continue to wear a mask whenever around other people—including at home, school, during extracurricular activities, and when outdoors.

It is recommended that students who are unable to wear a mask quarantine at home and monitor for the symptoms for 10 days after exposure OR be tested 7 days after exposure and return if the test is negative

Guidelines for exposures and quarantine outside of school

• Students who are exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19 outside of school will be asked to quarantine at home for 5 days. They may return on the 6^th day if:
  • Symptoms do not develop.
  • They continue to wear a high-quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94) as long as the Salt Lake County Health Department Public Health Order is in effect.
• Exposed students who do not wear masks due to a mask exemption, will be asked to quarantine at home for 10 days. If there have been no symptoms, they may test on the 7^th day and return with a negative test.

Exposure

• Exposure to COVID-19 occurs when a person is closer than 6 feet to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 for 15 minutes or longer within a 24-hour period.
• If a coach/athlete is exposed at school to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 they do not need to quarantine.

Guidelines for exposures and quarantine

Athletes/coaches who are exposed at school may return wearing a high-quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94) mask. They should continue to wear a mask whenever around other people—including at home, school, during extracurricular activities, and when outdoors.

It is recommended that students who are unable to wear a mask quarantine at home and monitor for the symptoms for 10 days after exposure OR be tested 7 days after exposure and return if the test is negative

All individuals should watch for symptoms for 14 days. If symptoms occur, they should stay home and be tested.

Exposed students who do not wear masks, will be asked to quarantine at home for 10 days. If there have been no symptoms, they may test on the 7^th day and return with a negative test.

Exposure to COVID-19 occurs when a person is closer than 6 feet to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 for 15 minutes or longer, within a 24-hour period. 

• Students who are exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19 will be asked to quarantine at home for 5 days. They may return on the 6^th day if: 
  • symptoms do not develop, AND  
  • they continue to wear a mask for an additional 5 days.  
• Exposed students who do not wear masks will be asked to quarantine at home for 10 days. They may return on the 11^th day if there have been no symptoms. 
• If a student is exposed at school to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 and all parties were wearing masks, it is not considered an exposure and they do not need to quarantine.  
• If a student got a booster dose OR got a second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last 6 months OR got a J&J vaccine within the last 2 months, they do not need to quarantine.  

Students, parents, employees, volunteers, and visitors will be required to wear high-quality masks (such as N95, KN95, or KF94). Medical masks will be allowed until a high quality masks can be obtained.

Exceptions to wearing high-quality masks (such as N95, KN95, or KF94) include: 

• While outdoors and not in queue with others 
• While alone or only with other members of the same household in a room, cubicle, vehicle, or similar enclosure 
• While obtaining or providing a service that requires the temporary removal of the respirator, high quality masks (such as N95, KN95, or KF94), such as speech therapy services 
• While actively practicing or playing a competitive recreational or professional sport 
• While giving an educational, artistic, cultural, musical, or theatrical presentation or performance for an audience 
• While exercising or engaging in athletic training while indoors and maintaining at least six feet of physical distance from any other individual 

The following individuals are exempt from the respirator, high quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94), or face covering requirements: 

• An individual who is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the respirator, mask, or face covering without assistance 
• An individual with a medical condition, mental health condition, or intellectual or developmental disability, that prevents the individual from wearing a high-quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94) 
  • A SLCSD Mask Exemption Request Form must be submitted to your student’s school principal. You may request this form from your student's school. 
• An individual who has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1414, or an accommodation under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794, that would necessitate exempting the individual from wearing a high-quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94). 
  • A SLCSD Mask Exemption Request Form must be submitted to your student’s school principal. You may request this form from your student's school.. 
• While actively eating or drinking, provided that the individual remains in place while eating or drinking;  
• While actively performing as an athlete at a school organized or school sponsored athletic event;  
• While exercising or engaging in athletic training while:  
  • Outdoors; or  
  • Indoors and maintaining social distancing; or 
• While rehearsing for or giving an educational, artistic, cultural, musical, or theatrical presentation or performance for an audience at a school; otherwise, students and adults must keep mask on. 

Students, parents, employees, volunteers, and visitors will be required to wear high-quality masks (such as N95, KN95, or KF94). Medical masks will be allowed until a high-quality mask can be obtained.

Exceptions to wearing high-quality masks (such as N95, KN95, or KF94) include: 

• While outdoors and not in queue with others 
• While alone or only with other members of the same household in a room, cubicle, vehicle, or similar enclosure 
• While obtaining or providing a service that requires the temporary removal of the respirator, high quality masks (such as N95, KN95, or KF94), such as speech therapy services 
• While actively practicing or playing a competitive recreational or professional sport 
• While giving an educational, artistic, cultural, musical, or theatrical presentation or performance for an audience 
• While exercising or engaging in athletic training while indoors and maintaining at least six feet of physical distance from any other individual 

The following individuals are exempt from the respirator, high quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94), or face covering requirements: 

• An individual who is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the respirator, mask, or face covering without assistance 
• An individual with a medical condition, mental health condition, or intellectual or developmental disability, that prevents the individual from wearing a high-quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94) 
  • A SLCSD Mask Exemption Request Form must be submitted to your student’s school principal. You may request this form from your student's school. 
• An individual who has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1414, or an accommodation under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794, that would necessitate exempting the individual from wearing a high-quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94). 
  • A SLCSD Mask Exemption Request Form must be submitted to your student’s school principal. You may request this form from your student's school.
• While actively eating or drinking, provided that the individual remains in place while eating or drinking;  
• While actively performing as an athlete at a school organized or school sponsored athletic event;  
• While exercising or engaging in athletic training while:  
  • Outdoors; or  
  • Indoors and maintaining social distancing; or 
• While rehearsing for or giving an educational, artistic, cultural, musical, or theatrical presentation or performance for an audience at a school; otherwise, students and adults must keep mask on. 

As of January 3, 2022, the Salt Lake County Health Department (SLCoHD) is changing its school contact tracing protocols. When there is a confirmed case of COVID in a school: 

• Contact tracing will occur at the classroom level only in all schools. SLCoHD will send an exposure notification letter to everyone in the class to alert them of the confirmed case in the classroom,  and advise them to watch for symptoms and Wear a well-fitting mask whenever around other people—including at home, school, during extracurricular and outdoor activities.

Any time there is a confirmed case of COVID in a class, we encourage students and staff in the class to be tested 5–7 days after the exposure or if they become ill. In addition, in some circumstances, SLCoHD’s outreach to exposed students will be via an online notification and survey rather than a phone call. If you receive a text or email with a survey link, it is extremely important that you answer the survey questions so you and the school know when your child may return to school.

Salt Lake City School District has created a COVID-19 Dashboard to help monitor our COVID-19 cases and keep the public informed. The dashboard is updated every hour. Occasionally, we may experience delays in updating this information due to weekends, holidays, and ongoing confirmation of positive COVID-19 cases. A link to the COVID-19 Dashboard is below.

Salt Lake City School District COVID-19 Dashboard

Salt Lake City School District will continue to collaborate with the Utah Department of Health and the Salt Lake County Health Department to provide COVID-19 testing sites and COVID-19 vaccination clinics.

Please see our webpage that lists the current COVID-19 vaccination clinics hosted at our schools. 

No. A parent or guardian must be physically present for a child to be vaccinated.

Schools will be allowed to provide outdoor events for students and families.  All participants will be required to wear high-quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94). Food trucks and prepackaged store-purchased food and drinks only. Please, no home-cooked items. There must also be adequate hand sanitizing stations when soap and water are not readily available for handwashing.

Schools will be allowed to hold assemblies, dances, awards ceremonies, parent nights, etc. All participants will be required to wear high-quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94).

Parents are allowed to visit schools. Parents are required to wear high-quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94). Parents are strongly encouraged to schedule appointments to meet with teachers, administrators, or counselors.

Volunteers are allowed to visit schools for the purpose of providing tutoring and assisting in school productions (plays, choir, dance, instrumental, etc…). Volunteers are required to wear a high-quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94). Only adults will be allowed to enter for volunteer activities. Visitors may schedule meetings with an individual teacher, counselor, or administrators as needed. Visitors with appointments are required to wear a high-quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94). We will review this decision every 30 days.

While the Salt Lake County Health Department Public Health Order is in place, field trip requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  When field trips are approved, all students and employees are required to wear a high-quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94).

Parents may accompany their child on a school-sponsored field trip. Nevertheless, they must meet their child’s class at the field trip destination and only interact with their child for the duration of the field trip. Parents may not ride on school buses. Any parent choosing to accompany their child on a field trip must wear a high-quality mask (such as N95, KN95, or KF94). We will review this decision every 30 days.

Currently, the use of personal vehicles to transport students to field trip destinations, school-sponsored events, or athletic events is not allowed. We will review this decision every 30 days.

All students are given basic school supplies. When it is necessary to share supplies and other materials, students are encouraged to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before and after use. Shared supplies and materials are sanitized between uses as frequently as possible.

We follow the “Offer” federal meal program. Each participating student selects from multiple menu options daily, including self-serve salad bars in our elementary schools.

Students in COVID-19 isolation or quarantine will be provided with time to make-up missing work, assignments, tests, and participation points.  

• Students will be provided at 2 days to make up missing work for every day they are absent due to COVID isolation or quarantine (example: 10 days absent = 20 days to make up assignments). 
• It is the responsibility of the student and/or parent to obtain make-up work from their teachers. 
• Teachers will maintain reasonable access and availability for students to obtain their make-up assignments. 

Test to Stay is a program designed to provide COVID-19 testing to students once a school reaches a certain level of active cases. Those thresholds are:

• Schools with 1,500 or more students have 2% of their students test positive for COVID 19 within the previous 14 days.
• Schools with fewer than 1,500 students have 30 students test positive for COVID 19 within the previous 14 days.

Our district and schools will be formally notified by the Salt Lake County Health Department if a school reaches their Test to Stay threshold. The school will then send information to parents informing them when the COVID-19 testing will take place. 

You can find more information on our Test to Stay webpage.

Families selecting to enroll their child(ren) in Salt Lake Virtual Elementary will only have to commit to attend one quarter at a time and NOT the entire academic year.

All HVAC systems are adjusted to ensure that 100% fresh air is cycled through schools each day. The air filters in every school and district building were replaced during the spring and summer months and will be checked weekly and replaced quarterly.