Recommendation #1: Exercise and promote hygienic practices.

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to COVID-19. Chances of exposure can be reduced by:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your
• Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
• If you are sick, stay

Recommendation #2: Review your agency back-up plan and infection control procedures. All ECE providers are strongly encouraged to:

• Review internal infection control protocols and emergency backup plans for events in which a provider does not have adequate staffing to meet individuals’ health and safety needs.
• Evaluate staff adherence to provider infection control
• Develop a communications A key component to preparedness is developing a communications plan that outlines how you plan to reach different audiences including ensuring all communications are culturally and linguistically appropriate as well as accessible for individuals with disabilities.
• Evaluate capacity to implement emergency backup plans in the event staffing is impacted by the COVID-19 virus.

Recommendation #3: Communicate.

• Staff should follow Department of Health guidance for evaluation, testing, and reporting related to staff or a beneficiary suspected of having COVID-19 available here.
• Communicate about COVID-19 with your staff. Share information about what is currently known about COVID-19 and your facility’s preparedness plans. Communicate your expectations for modeling respiratory etiquette, staying home when sick, and supporting employees who need to take care of a sick family member.
• Communicate about COVID-19 with children and families. Provide updates about changes to your policies or operations. Use all communication channels that you have available, including direct communications (face-to-face, letters), electronic communications (your district or facility’s website or social media pages), as well as parent meetings to share updates. Make sure to plan ahead for linguistic needs, including providing interpreters and translating Information on COVID-19 and Children: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/children-faq.html
• Post Existing signs should be visible that remind staff, visitors, and students to perform hand hygiene, sneeze/cough into their elbow, put used tissues in a waste receptacle and to wash hands immediately after using tissues. Recommend everyone to avoid close greetings like hugs or handshakes. Several examples of signs are available in the Department of Health website here.
• Intentionally and persistently combat Misinformation about coronavirus and COVID-19 can create fear and hostility that hurts people and makes it harder to keep everyone healthy. We’re stronger as a community when we stand together against discrimination.

Recommendation #4: Contact the appropriate OCDEL designated point of contact (POC) before making any changes to your business practice whenever possible.

It is strongly recommended that providers contact the designated POC before making any changes to their business practices in response to COVID-19. Examples of changes in business practices include, but are not limited to:

• Suspending services at a service location such as temporarily closing a
• Relocating staff and children to another
• Reducing or eliminating the provision of community-based
• Restricting individuals’ abilities to receive

Providers may contact the appropriate POC to notify OCDEL of a proposed change in business practice and/or seek guidance related to a proposed change.

OCDEL POC Information

Recommendation #5: Document what actions were taken and maintain evidence for why actions were taken.

Providers should document any changes to their operations as a result of COVID-19 and maintain evidence to support why the changes were made. Doing so will help demonstrate the basis for an action if the appropriateness of the action is questioned after COVID-19 is contained and operations return to normal.

In general, evidence that should be maintained includes, but is not limited to:

• Orders or notices from local authorities. Example: County Health Department A imposes a restriction on public gatherings of more than 20 people, forcing Provider B to close its program for one Provider B should retain the official notice from County Health Department A as evidence to support the closure.
• Communications from landlords or other program partners indicating closure. Example, Provider A uses space for school age child care in a school That building is closed for preventative cleaning on specific dates. As a result child care could not operate.

Recommendation #6: Stay Informed

• COVID-19-specific information can be found at:
  • The Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Coronavirus Update Page – https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Coronavirus Page – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/

• The Pennsylvania Department of Health holds daily press briefings every day to announce the latest efforts and updates on the commonwealth’s response to COVID-19. You may watch a free live stream of the daily briefing at noon here: https://pacast.com/live/doh. An archive of past briefings is available here: https://pacast.com/video.
• One of the most important steps you can take to stay informed about our program is subscribe to our Listservs. Important announcements, including announcements about COVID-19, are regularly sent over the Listservs.
  • To subscribe to the PA Early Education News: https://www.pakeys.org/getting-started/about- us/newsletter-signup/
  • Update contact information in Provider Self Service for child care providers and PELICAN for PA Pre-K Counts and HSSAP grantees.

Provider Self Service: https://www.pelican.state.pa.us/provider PELICAN main page: https://www.pelican.state.pa.us