Notify EPCPH via one of the following numbers below if you or someone in your center develops a fever (temperature greater than 38.0 degrees Celsius or 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) or other symptoms (loss of taste, loss of smell, cough, shortness of breath, chills, body aches, sore throat, headache, diarrhea, runny nose/congestion, nausea/vomiting), OR have a positive case or exposure within your facility (additional guidance attached). Please call the manned phone lines below rather than individual cell/desk phone numbers.
- Business Hours: 719-578-3220
- After Hours: 719-235-2278
- If you are unable to reach anyone at the above-listed numbers, please contact the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) at 303-692-2700 during business hours or at 303-370-9395 after hours.
Level Orange – Safer at Home (High Risk):
As of 5:00 pm on Friday, November 13, El Paso County moved into Level Orange: Safer at Home. Please see here for information pertaining to schools and child care under this new status, and note that preschools within schools are still considered a “child care facility,” so these programs and their staff will remain under critical service/business and may remain operational at any point. See attached Public Health Order 20-36 of click here (Page 35, Appendix A).
Statewide Mask Mandate Extended: On November 9, 2020, Governor Jared Polis extended Executive Order D 2020 245 that requires all “individuals over ten (10) years old must wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when entering or moving within any Public Indoor Space.”
- This means that all staff or children over 10 years old in a school or child care facility must wear a face covering while indoors, unless the individual cannot medically tolerate a face covering. It is also strongly recommended that anyone age 3 to 10 also wear a mask, with those aged 3 to 5 under direct supervision. Children 2 and under should not wear a mask. For more information, please visit here.
- Additional information regarding mask wear can be found here.
- Please note that a facility can exclude someone without a mask (see page 4 of the attached Civil Rights Guidance). The extrapolation of this would pertain to those older than individuals 10 years of age.
- Information about understanding emotions when wearing masks around infants and babies can be found in the attached.
Cleaning and Disinfection:
Below are a few items to understand and implement when cleaning and disinfecting your childcare facility during the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Commonly-touched surfaces should be disinfected at least once daily using a disinfectant approved by the EPA to be effective against the COVID-19 pathogen: EPA List N
- Electrostatic sprayers are only approved by the EPA for effective use against the COVID-19 pathogen with these four disinfectants.
Facilities that use bleach should continue to follow this guidance, and please note:
- Some generic brands of bleach may have different mixing instructions than Clorox, so always use the sanitizer and disinfectant instructions on your bottle’s label
- Splash-less bleach is not approved for use as a sanitizer or disinfectant and will indicate so on the label.
- Mixing Smaller Quantities of Disinfectants
How Sick is Too Sick?:
CDPHE has updated their How Sick is Too Sick guidance with symptoms of COVID-19 listed at the top.
Mental Health Resources: Now more than ever, it is incredibly important that individuals take the necessary steps to maintain their mental health; this is no different for children and young people. In addition to seeking guidance from a mental health professional, tips and resources on how to stay positive during the pandemic can be found here.
Available Testing Sites for Staff/Students:
Additional Guidance and Resources for Schools:
- EPCPH Schools, Child Care and Online Learning
- EPCPH COVID-19 Data Dashboard
- CDPHE Cases & COVID-19 Outbreaks Guidance in Child Care & Schools
- EPCPH Printable/Shareable Resources
- CDPHE Childcare Facilities
- CDPHE Cases and Outbreaks in Child Care and Schools (flowcharts toward bottom of page)
- In-Person Learning in the Time of COVID-19 (for schools)
- CDPHE Cleaning Guidance
- CDPHE Ventilation Guidance
- CDE COVID Resources For Schools & Safe Schools
- CDC Schools and Childcare Programs
TANF Disaster Assistance and Other Financial Resources:
Please see the flyer below regarding financial assistance for those impacted by COVID-19. Feel free to distribute to staff and parents within your facilities or centers as needed. If you as a child care provider also need financial assistance due to the impacts of COVID-19, please contact the United Way by dialing 211 OR reach out to Tanise Dixon with Alliance for Kids at tdixon@jointinitiatives.org.
Available Testing Sites for Staff/Students:
Additional Guidance and Resources for Schools:
- EPCPH: Schools, Child Care and Online Learning
- CDPHE: Safer at Home in the Great Outdoors Guidance
- CDPHE: Cases and Outbreaks in Child Care and Schools
- CDC: Schools and Childcare Programs
- CDE: COVID Resources For Schools
Additional Resources: