CMSD COVID response procedures

CMSD takes many steps to protect students, families, and staff from COVID-19. For a list of these steps, go to ClevelandMetroSchools.org/CovidSafety.

CMSD responds quickly to cases of COVID-19 in our schools but can do so only if the results of a positive test or diagnosis are reported to the District’s COVID-19 Hotline. Report a case to the hotline by calling 216-838-9355 or emailing covid@clevelandmetroschools.org.

Employees or families of students determined to have the virus must call or email the hotline for the process to begin. Principals, teachers and staff members who receive COVID information from a family can report the information to the hotline for follow-up by the CMSD hotline nurses.

Once the hotline receives the report, the following steps take place within 24 hours.

1. CMSD nurses, who have been trained by the Cleveland Department of Public Health, conduct contact tracing and identify close contacts.
2. A hotline nurse notifies close contacts directly and advises them of quarantine or other follow-up steps. Guidelines that the nurses follow may be found below.
   **Quarantine is not necessary for students and adults who have possibly been exposed to COVID-19 in K-12 school settings, regardless of vaccination status, if ALL the following prevention measures have been in place:
   • Masking for students and staff (regardless of vaccination status)
   • Physical distancing is maximized (at least 3 feet between desks).
   • Documentation of COVID-19 prevention policies (e.g., identification of individuals experiencing symptoms, strategies to increase ventilation, protocols for cleaning, etc.).
3. The principal sends written notice of the case to the families of students who were in the same classroom as the infected individual but are NOT considered to be close contacts.
4. Students who are not considered to be close contacts can continue to attend school as normal.
5. The District posts an alert box on the school’s web page for 10 days. The web-page alert serves as notice to families of students who attend the school but are not in the same classroom as the affected individual.
6. The case is added to a District dashboard that shows cases reported within the last seven days, total cases this school year and the total dating to the start of the pandemic. A school-by-school breakdown of cases is availablefor Elementary Schools, High Schools and District Offices.