Coronavirus safety teams have been established in Fairfax County, Virginia, to help public schools meet federal guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Teams made up of public school staff and retirees are undergoing training, and some have already conducted spot checks of school buildings, according to Fairfax County Public Schools.
“The role of these teams is to help protect staff and students, and to make sure we all know what we can do to ensure safe, clean, healthy spaces,” Assistant Superintendent of Facilities and Transportation Services Jeff Platenberg said in a release.
The onsite inspections ensure that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s strategies are being followed, including the proper use of face coverings, social distancing, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, cleaning and disinfection, and contact tracing in coordination with the health department.
“These visits will help us document how consistently we are implementing all the health and safety strategies encouraged by the CDC and health officials,” Platenberg said.
The onsite inspections by the safety teams provide the public school system data that can help with the gradual reopening of schools for in-person instruction.
Students at Fairfax County Public Schools are currently learning virtually because of the high coronavirus case count per 100,000 residents and the regional positivity rate.
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Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.