Colorado

Note: Recipient-submitted material; content authored by recipient, not ELC
Information current as of October 6, 2021

Management structure for school screening

Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE) oversees all activities related to ELC Reopening Schools, from establishing contracts with contractors who provide the Full Service and Direct Ship Testing at schools, to enrolling schools, to coordinating with schools and ensuring incentives are provided.

Support provided to school districts

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will adopt and elaborate upon CDC school guidanceexternal icon. This guide is aimed at disease control and minimizing the risk of exposure in education settings. However, students’ wellness extends well beyond just disease control. Schools, educators, parents, and students must balance all the needs of students to achieve wellness and create a productive learning environment.

The state has let all statewide school-based health orders and mandates expire and instead has adopted a guidance model designed to empower local public health and local leaders to protect their communities using the mitigation strategies most appropriate to local conditions. The guidance provides practical tools to assess the risks of COVID-19 and minimize those risks. The guidance does not constitute statewide requirements, but instead outlines evidence-based best practices for local governments and schools to implement together to manage the next stage of the pandemic.

CDPHE recommends a layered approach of best practices to COVID-19 prevention. This outline of best practices describes the Back to School Roadmap, including ventilation, maximization of outdoor activities, mask-wearing, testing, spacing, cohorting, symptom screening, cleaning, disinfecting, and handwashing. It also includes information for local public health agencies, schools, and parents about community transmission and layered precautions.