OHA updates reporting for schools in weekly Outbreak Report, Sept. 23

Starting Wednesday, the weekly Outbreak Report is updating how school outbreaks will be reported. The Outbreak Report will continue to report the number of cases in school by student and staff or volunteer status. Active and resolved outbreaks will now include all cases linked to the outbreak and will no longer differentiate cases among students and staff cases. Outbreaks in K-12 schools are defined as having two or more cases identified, where there is evidence of transmission, at school. Outbreaks may include cases who were not at school but are close contacts of those exposed at school. This provides a more accurate picture of the scale of K-12 related outbreaks and how they may link to other cases in the community. Schools should continue to notify their local public health authority of all positive cases identified among students and staff, including those who are reporting a positive at-home COVID-19 test.