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With the increased availability of tests, these considerations are intended to provide guidance on the appropriate use of testing for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in K-12 schools for surveillance, diagnosis, screening, or outbreak response Schools can help protect students and their families, teachers, staff, and the broader community and slow the spread of COVID-19 Testing to diagnose COVID-19 is part of a comprehensive strategy and should be used in conjunction with promoting behaviors that reduce spread (e g , mask use, social distancing, hand hygiene);maintaining healthy environments (e g , cleaning and disinfection, ventilation);maintaining healthy operations (e g , scheduling, virtual learning, class sizes);and preparing for when someone gets sick If an outbreak occurs, schools should immediately notify STLT public health officials STLT officials will then work closely with school administrators to scale up testing, identify contacts and initiate contact tracing, and determine who will need to be quarantined and isolated Schools should work with STLT public health officials to decide and how to use testing K-12 schools operated by the federal government (e g , for Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), which operates K-12 schools for DoD Dependents) should collaborate with federal health officials In addition to state and local laws, school administrators should follow guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commissionexternal icon when offering testing to faculty, staff, and students who are employed by the K-12 school Schools also should follow guidance from the U S Department of Education on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)external icon and FERPA and COVID-19external icon and their applicability to students and COVID-19 contact tracing and testing
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